You're the Only Song I Want to Hear
by crystal-gem-jessie
Summary: Amy is having a really hard time adjusting to college life as an Art Major, but a mysterious pianist in the music conservatory keeps her sane / Jake just wants to do what he loves, but everyone else wants him to be practical. Everyone, that is, except for one person... College AU. Mix of romance/humor/angst/slice of life. [COMPLETE]
1. No 1: Amy - Raindrops

**AN:** Hi everyone! Welcome to "You're the Only Song I Want to Hear". I hope you enjoy this chapter. Fair warning: this chapter doesn't have a lot of Jake, but I'll get to him soon!

The title is from "Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab for Cutie.

Trying something new with this fic. Each chapter's title is inspired by the name of a piano piece. Chapter 1 is "Prelude No. 15 in D-Flat Major, Op. 28 'Raindrops'" by Chopin. If you'd like to listen to that song while you're reading, that'd be kinda cool.

Either way, enjoy! I always really appreciate your comments and support. Thank you!

* * *

 **No. 1: Amy – Raindrops**

Amy Santiago was sitting at her new dorm room desk as she carefully organized her school bag for the first day of classes. She had two classes for the next day. One was an intro to statistics class, which was just a GE, but the other was "Art in Renaissance Venice", one of her major classes. Amy couldn't help but smile as she delicately placed two mechanical pencils, three pens (black ink, blue ink, _and_ red ink), an eraser, and highlights in every color in her pencil case. College was going to be great for her. She would work hard, gain admiration from her teachers, and maybe even make some new friends.

It wasn't that Amy had no friends. There was Kylie, but Kylie went to school in Oregon now. Amy missed her. Kylie understood how important studies were and never got annoyed at Amy's perfectionist tendencies, like most people. In fact, some of Amy's fondest memories of their friendship were when they would study in silence together for hours. It was a special bond they shared. Amy hoped that she might be able to find another friend easily since colleges were optional institutions of learning. She figured students would _want_ to study, thus having more in common with her than her high school colleagues. Upon meeting her roommate, Amy found her reasoning flawed.

* * *

" _Mmm, who are you?" said a slow, judgmental voice behind her. Amy turned around and saw a pretty girl with piercing blues eyes and one of the most impressive stink faces she had ever seen. A girl coming into her dorm room unannounced? This must be her new roommate!_

" _Hi! My name's Amy Santiago" she said with a cheerful smile and an out-stretched hand for her to shake. The girl stared at her hand and didn't move. Amy lowered it._

" _Gina Linetti"_

" _It's nice to meet you" Amy said, still smiling._

" _It is. Excuse me, are_ you _dorming here?" she asked, and Amy was not sure she liked her tone._

" _Um, yes. This is my dorm room"_

" _Nuh-uh, boo-boo. Let's get something straight._ This _is_ my _room that I am graciously letting you use half of. Now, I just have a couple of ground rules for cohabitating with me. One, you will_ not _touch my things, but I reserve the right to use yours should I feel the need to. Two-"_

" _Now-"_

" _TWO, I will not tolerate you desecrating the walls with anything that is not a. Beyoncé, b. men with washboard abs, or c. wolves. Three, when I bring up the inevitable gentleman caller for a night of vigorous lovemaking, I will tactfully place my bra on the door handle as a kind gesture letting you know you will have to find shelter elsewhere"_

" _You can't do that!" Amy blurted, her face now contorted into an angry face no one could take seriously because it made her look like a disgruntled puppy._

" _Four, if you don't comply with my rules, I'll put an ounce of weed in one of your drawers and alert the RA, who will alert campus police, who will alert the dean, who will suspend you. That chill, boo?" Gina asked with her eyes wide and her tone light. Amy just looked at her stunned._

" _I, uh-"_

" _Great, glad we're on the same page. Byyyyyyye" she said as she turned her attention back to her phone and exited the room._

* * *

The encounter was horrifying. She had hoped to make friends with her roommate, but that certainly did not seem like a possibility. Amy was just glad that Gina wasn't actually in the room a lot, or at least she wasn't that first weekend. Amy tried to put Gina in the back of her mind. Sure, the roommate situation was a bit of a setback, but she had her art class first thing in the morning and everything was going to be great. Amy set her alarm and got under her covers, excited for the next day.

* * *

Unfortunately, Amy's morning did not go as planned. She woke up a whole hour after she meant to because Gina unplugged her alarm before Amy could properly stir. The setback sent Amy into a panic as she quickly grabbed her towel and the necessary toiletries. She raced to the shower in her hall, but stopped when she saw a tall, black-haired girl in a towel about to use it.

"Um, excuse me? I'm running late for class can I just use it first, I swear I'll be super quick" Amy said, panic showing on her face. The girl glared at her.

"No"

"Please, I'll just be-" Amy said, trying to just weasel her when into the shower instead of getting the proper permission. She was interrupted by the girl punching the tiled wall with a menacing glare on her face

"I said 'no'" she said and got in the shower. Amy panicked and remembered a second shower on the other side of the hall. She made her way over, but that one was in use as well. She ping-ponged between both showers, praying someone would get out soon. She looked at the time on her phone and realized she only had twenty minutes to get to class. She ditched the idea of a shower and changed as quickly as she could and put on more body spray than usual.

Amy thought she knew where the classroom was, but she misread the campus map and this set her back even further. By the time she actually reached her class she was ten minutes late and not smelling too great. She opened the door and prayed the teacher would take pity on her poor, freshman soul.

No such luck. Amy entered the small classroom and was greeted by everyone staring at her. She tried to ignore them and sit down, but the professor stopped her.

" _You_. What's your name?" asked a stern looking woman with blonde hair. Amy assumed it was Professor Wuntch.

"Amy Santiago, ma'am. I'm so sorry I'm late. I got lost and I-" Amy tried to explain, but Wuntch put a hand up to silence her and addressed the class.

"See, class? This is what I'm talking about. I will _not_ tolerate lateness to this class and I will not accept excuses. Now, Miss Santiago, was it?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry ma'am"

"I'm not a cruel woman, Miss Santiago, so I'll allow you to still take this course, but you are not allowed to attend today's session. Please, take your things and I expect you to be on time next class or I will drop you from it" Wuntch said, her face stone cold.

"Yes ma'am. Thank you, ma'am" Amy said miserably as she exited the classroom. Amy could hardly believe what just happened. She, _Amy Santiago_ , was just made an example of in a classroom. She was disgusted with herself, for being late and for the whole not-taking-a-shower thing. She felt hot tears threaten to fall, but she blinked them back and headed back to her dorm. She was just going to go back, take a shower, and get ready for her next class.

* * *

Though the shower was available when she arrived back, the hot water was completely used up and it was the absolute worst shower of her life. The water was so cold it was painful and she had a hard time getting the soap off of her fast enough. She leaped out of the shower and got dressed for her statistics class. She told herself that the worst part of her day was over and it was all uphill from here.

* * *

Amy got to her statistics class twenty minutes earlier than she needed to be, but the professor never showed. She mentally groaned and couldn't believe her luck. Sure, normally the teacher not showing up for a lecture would be a welcome break, but not today. It was her first day of college and she hadn't been able to go to a single lecture. It was an absolute disaster.

* * *

When she got back to her dorm she was determined to find a way to turn this day around. Amy remembered how her mother always said that there was nothing like a great outfit to make you feel better. Amy looked in her closet and found her favorite summer dress hanging in the corner. It was white with sunflowers and it was a great cut on her. She thought maybe she could sit with a group during dinner and make some acquaintances with the extra confidence the dress gave her. She undid the neat bun her hair had been in and even put on a little make up. Amy put on her dress and examined herself in the mirror. She smiled at her figure.

With her looking her best and a new wave of optimism flowing through her veins, she strode over to the dining hall. When she got her food, stacked on an orange tray, her confidence left her. The dining hall was filled with people chatting, every seat seeming to be taken. Suddenly, Amy felt it would be impossible to ask to sit down with anyone, so instead she sat at a two-person table by herself. She took a bit of her pesto-chicken pizza, but it was somehow burnt.

Amy finished her depressing meal, and then put away her tray and plates. It was then that Amy's optimism started to fade. Would she ever get the confidence to sit down and make friends with people? Or was she always going to be the nerdy, quiet girl? Her train of thought was broken when someone, just getting their food, crashed into her. She felt glass break around her feet and a hot liquid hit her chest then treacle its way down her front.

"Ow!" she exclaimed as she tried to scrape the hot liquid off her vulnerable skin. It wasn't until then that she realized someone had just gotten tomato soup all over her _and_ her white summer dress.

"Oh, _crap_ , hey I'm really-" said a boy with brown hair and a large nose.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" She yelled at him and it took everything she had not to cry right then and there, but instead she hurried out of the dining hall to her dorm. She took off her dress in a mad huff and changed into a t-shirt and sweats. She went to the bathroom to try and get as much soup as she could. She got a lot out, but she feared it would be stained forever. She let it soak in the sink and hoped no one would mind since the bathroom had two sinks. She was about to lie down and cry in her bed when she heard Gina giggling. Gina had her hands on some guy as she walked backwards into the room. It was the "boytoy" that finally took notice of Amy, which made Gina turn around.

"Oooh, girl. You're gonna wanna leave for couple hours, it's about to get nasty in here" Gina said and Amy couldn't believe this was happening. Too exhausted to fight, Amy grabbed a hoody and headed out the door. She went outside and decided to just walk around campus, maybe even find her classes for the next day.

This was probably the worst day of Amy's life. Absolutely nothing was going right. Was this going to be what her entire college experience was going to be like? Was this what she had to look forward to for the next four years? She felt a weight on her chest that wouldn't go away. She walked around the campus aimlessly as her mind reeled. She walked past building after building, until she saw _it_. It was a large building with the words "Music Conservatory" across the entrance and big, thick-paned windows. She didn't know why, but there was something enchanting about the building and she felt a powerful need to go inside. Amy went to the door and prayed it was still open. Her heart jumped when she realized it was.

She gazed at the beautiful, deserted entrance. It had chandeliers hanging from high ceilings and sleek black furniture in the lobby. She decided she wanted to explore more and went up the first flight of stairs she found. That's when it hit her. Half way to the second floor, a beautiful melody graced her ears. She figured she wasn't alone in the building after all and that someone was playing the piano nearby. Amy followed the sound down a hallway that had rooms filled with different instruments. As the song got louder, Amy felt her heart beat faster. It was just so _sweet_ that she wanted to bury herself in it.

She finally reached the room where the song was coming from and put her hand on the door handle, but then stopped. She took her hand off the door handle, and instead put her back against the neighboring wall. She closed her eyes and let the song take over her. She felt herself slide down the wall and find a seated position with her knees scrunched up against her torso. The song played on and Amy got lost in it. She imagined herself walking in a field of wild flowers, with a butter-sun and singing blue birds. She took a deep breath in and thought of her mother, her father, her brothers, and of Kylie. She missed them. She missed them so much it hurt.

She thought of Gina and her nameless boy thing. She thought of Wuntch and her snarling face. She thought of the stupid boy who crashed into her and ruined her favorite dress. Amy lingered on him. She remembered him trying to say he was sorry, but she just yelled at him. She remembered the confusion in his brown eyes. Why did she yell at him? It was just an accident.

Then, finally, in a hallway that was empty except for her and a song, Amy wept. She had held it back for far too long and now it just came streaming out. She tried to cry as silently as she could, so as not to disturbed the pianist or to disrupt her own listening. She cried and listened, and listened and cried for, what felt like, ages. The music had a wondrous, cathartic healing power and she never wanted to leave it. After some time, her tears dried up and she felt her breathing go back to normal. It was at this moment that the music slowed and stopped. Amy knew the player was done somehow and she took off immediately.

It wasn't rational, but Amy didn't want to see or meet the pianist. It was all so magical and she felt that if she met the pianist, she'd screw everything up.

Amy didn't know it then, but that night, a small seed was planted in her heart and it wasn't until much later that she would find out what would bloom.


	2. No 2: Jake –Dernière

**AN:** Hi everyone! Welcome to the second chapter. The song for this chapter is called "Dernière" by Yann Tiersen. There's always the gentle suggestion to listen to it while you read, but you do you boo.

* * *

 **No. 2: Jake –Dernière**

It wasn't that Jake _hated_ his classes it was just that he got no enjoyment from them. Nothing about macro management or synergy made him want to get out of bed. He only got out of bed because he had to. He was digging himself into debt ( _crushing_ debt) in hopes that he could get himself out of it by the time he was fifty. Once he graduated with his degree in business, he was going to get a _real_ job. Jake threw off his covers and sat up, tousling his hair.

" _A_ real _job, huh?"_ he thought, as her rubbed sleep from his eyes. He imagined himself behind a desk in a room with white walls and grey cubicle dividers. He thought of himself in a white shirt and patterned tie surrounded by ringing phones and piles of papers that held no real meaning. He watched his mind play the movie of his life: his future-self rapidly aging in his wheeled chair. He was going to get a real job, so he could be _happy_.

Jeez, what was this these downer thoughts? This wasn't like him. Sure, he didn't have the great first day of class, but things would look up soon. There were plenty of parties to attend and he always had his own ways of unwinding.

" _Everything is going to be fine,_ " he thought, " _It's going to be fine_ "

* * *

"Jake! Over here!"

Jake was scanning the dining hall, tray in hand, and looking for a seat when an enthusiastic voice called to him. Jake turned to his left and saw Charles waving him down. Jake smiled and made his way over. Jake liked Charles. He was kinda weird, but he seemed to think Jake was super cool, and well, there really wasn't a faster way to make friends with him than that. He sat down and greeted his new friend with pat on the back.

"Jakey, Jakey, eggs and bac-y!" Charles said in reference to Jake's breakfast.

"Good one. What time's your first class?" Jake asked.

"Ten, but I woke up early because they were serving blintzes for breakfast. I love blintzes"

"Me too, Buddy. Me too" Jake said, taking a bite out of his own blueberry blintz.

"Oh, hey, check it out! It's that crazy girl you bumped into last night" Charles said and Jake whipped around to see her coming out of the kitchen with her tray, trying to find a spot, then finally settling on a small table in the corner by herself. He watched her eat her eggs in silence and saw her eyes glaze over in deep thought.

"Wonder what her deal is" Jake said, turning back to Charles.

"I'm think she was just having a bad day. She's in my art class and the professor gave her a real hard time yesterday. She was late and Wuntch just drilled her right in front of everybody then made her leave" Charles said. That was another cool thing about Charles. He was kind enough to give people the benefit of the doubt.

"Yeesh, that's brutal" Jake said.

"Yeah, especially since we have a quiz on Wednesday. I hope she got the notes from someone or she's going to be really behind" he said as he stuffed another blintz in his mouth. Jake had a bad feeling she didn't have the notes since he only ever saw her by herself.

"Hey, do you have the notes with you?" Jake asked.

"No, they're back in my room"

"Can I borrow them for a bit?"

"Sure, but why?" Charles asked.

"Oh, you know, just spreading the Peralta kindness wherever I go" he said, with one last look at the pretty girl eating eggs in the corner.

* * *

Jake wasn't able to photocopy Charles notes until the afternoon, after they both finished their first classes. Once Jake had the notes he wasn't really sure what to do with them. He didn't know the girl's name or which building she was in, so he just had to hope he'd bump into her (figuratively, not literally) sometime before tomorrow.

His prayers were answered during lunch because after getting his tray he saw her eating her meal in the same lonely table she was at for breakfast. He approached the table, but felt himself get nervous. It puzzled him. He normally had no trouble introducing himself to new people, but after their last… _exchange_ , he wasn't too proud to admit he was a little afraid of her. He swore he saw fire in those brown eyes and he never wanted that kind of fury directed at him again. Still, he took a deep breath and greeted her.

"Uh, hey, can I sit with you?" he asked, and when she looked at him, he immediately relaxed. The fire in her eyes was completely extinguished. Instead, her eyes were filled with a nervous, surprised look that reminded him of a dog that knew it had done wrong.

"I-uh-um-yes! Of course, yes!" she said, her hands fidgeting. Jake sat down and gave her a polite smile, which she tried to return, but it wasn't quite working out for her.

"Great, thanks. I'm Jake, by the way"

"Amy. I'm Amy" she said, still nervous.

"Amy, nice. Um, so I wanted to actually talk to you for a second. I just wanted to-"

"No, please don't! I was so rude yesterday. I'm sorry, I just had a really bad day and it was just really bad timing. I'm really sorry I yelled at you" she said, her eyes pleading for forgiveness.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm really sorry for ruining your dress. I have terrible coordination and should definitely be watching where I'm going at all times so…yeah, sorry"

"It's okay" she said, looking at the ground.

"Well, anyway, my friend Charles says you're in his art class with him and he told me about the whole 'kicked out of class' incident, so I asked him to photocopy his notes for you" He said, handing her the notes. She stared at them in silence, her eyes big.

"Oh" was all she was able to say.

"You have a quiz tomorrow so, uh, yeah, just wanted you to know, so y'know, you wouldn't be behind. Hopefully, this makes up for the tomato soup incident a little" he said and at this, Amy did look up. She gave him a heart-stunning smile that made him feel dizzy. There was a look in her eyes that he could only describe as fire, but, this time, he welcomed the flames.

"Thank you so much. I…I really needed this. Thank you" she said and he realized this was the first time since coming to college that he was _smiling_. Yeah, he had curled his lips and flashed his teeth to people when appropriate, but this was the first can't-fight-his-muscles-back-even-if-he-wanted-to-honest-to-goodness smile. He felt the dreary feelings that he had hung onto since the morning fade away and all because of a simple "thank you".

"No problem, just doin' my part" he said. She smiled again and, to his disappointment, began packing her things.

"Heading out?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah sorry! I just want to start studying the notes right away. I'm already _so_ behind. Maybe, we could, um…" the last part died in her chest.

"Wanna meet up for dinner with me and my friends?" he asked and her face lit up again.

"Yeah! That'd be great" She said as she stood with books in hand. They exchanged numbers and Amy left the dining hall with a bounce in her step.

Jake watched her leave and noticed the dining hall felt a little colder without her fire-eyes to warm it.

* * *

The joyful feelings Jake had experienced during lunch were, unfortunately, short-lived. While in his room, Jake received a phone call from his mother.

"Hey Jakey" she said.

"Hey mom, how ya doin'?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm good honey. I want to hear about you! How was your first couple of days?" She asked excitedly.

"Good"

"Make any friends?"

"Uh, yeah. I met a couple of cool people and Gina's here so…"

"I'm so glad you two went together, that way you weren't alone"

"Yeah, yeah it's cool" he said, the conversation already boring him.

"So how were your classes?" she asked.

"I don't know mom, kinda lame" he said, honestly.

"What do you mean?" she asked and her light tone changed.

"I just…Mom, you _know_ I don't want to be a Business major. It sucks" he said and he heard his mother's exasperated sigh.

"Jake, we talked about this. Honey, it's not _practical_ for you to study music. What would you do with a music degree?" she asked and he felt himself shrink.

"I don't know mom, there's a lot of stuff I could do. If I switched my major and took classes, they could probably help me figure it out" he said, but he knew his argument was weak.

"You need to focus on your business classes. You have to make a living after you graduate. I can't just keep supporting you forever" she said, sticking the knife in deeper.

"Mom, I _know_ -"

"Do you? Are you aware how much tuition is? You didn't get any grants. The only reason you're able to go to college is because of loans and that still isn't enough to cover everything. You have no idea how much I've had to-"

"Mom, _I know_ "

"-cut back just to get you through your first semester. Honey, look, I know you love the piano, but it's a hobby, Jake. It's not a career. Do you understand me?" she asked and Jake felt a familiar tightness in his chest.

"Yeah" he said, daring not to day too much in fear of yelling at her.

"Okay, honey, I'm gonna go now, but I love you and keep your chin up, okay? The classes will get better" she said, trying to soften the blow of her speech.

"Yup, got it. Love you too" he replied, her final "bye" lost as he hung up the phone.

A blanket of dread fell on him. Was there nothing else left for him to do? Did he just have to accept that "entrepreneurship" and "real estate" were going to be his life? Each question he asked himself made the pain in his chest get even tighter.

In an attempt to get his mind off of his dismal future, Jake decided to take a nap. The conversation had exhausted him and he didn't particularly feel like doing anything else. If nothing else, maybe he could play in his dreams.

* * *

Jake woke up in total darkness and was unsure of where he was. It took him a couple of minutes, but eventually he remembered he took a nap at around 5:00 p.m. and now it was night. He looked at him phone and saw it was 9:13p.m.

" _Dammit,_ " he thought, " _I missed dinner_ "

Then a crushing realization hit him. He had made plans with Amy and he completely stood her up. He groaned and immediately sent her a text:

" _Hey I'm super sorry I wasn't at dinner. I feel asleep. Raincheck?_ "

He looked at his phone and saw she didn't even try to get in contact with him. He worried that maybe she was just waiting around for a text that never came. Did she at least get herself something to eat? Another wave of guilt hit him. His heart soared when his phone vibrated. It was a text from Amy:

" _It's okay. I figured as much by the time it was 8:30. Yeah, we can raincheck_ "

He let out a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't upset. They decided to have dinner at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Jake let himself feel a little better. It wasn't until he realized that she probably had dinner alone _again_ that he felt terrible _again_.

He looked over at his desk and saw his copy of _The Library of Piano Favorites_. He felt the familiar itch in his fingers and knew there was only one thing he could do right now. He grabbed his songbook and ran out the door.

* * *

The Music Conservatory was blissfully deserted again and he felt the weight on his chest lighten. He nearly ran up the stairs to the practice rooms. He opened the door and felt a rush of relief as he looked at the beautiful Baby Grand in the center of the room. He sat down and opened the book to one of his old favorites. His fingers fell into the keys, like water falls into a glass and just fits there. He began playing and let the anxiety of the day wash away with each note.

There was no greater feeling than this. He felt powerful and in control, but he also felt like he was painting worlds that wouldn't exist without him. Everything just made sense here and there was no one around to tell him he had more important things to be doing. What could be more important than this?

Time passed and he continued to play. He only stopped when his body was full of that tingling sensation he got when he played a piece perfectly. Well, at least _close_ to perfectly. There was always a spot where he would hit the keys too hard or not hard enough. Still, he felt much better than he did before he walked into the room and that's what mattered. He gathered his things and headed for the door, but stopped when he saw a piece of paper right in front of it. Jake assumed someone must have slipped it in while he was playing because it definitely wasn't there when he first arrived. He picked up the paper and on it, in neat, bold lettering was the message:

 **You play beautifully. Please, don't ever stop**.

That was it. Just those seven words and they were already playing on repeat in his mind. He looked on the back for some kind of clue to who left him the note, but found nothing. He folded the paper neatly and put it in his pocket.

It was as if he was visited by an angel or muse, telling him to keep going. It gave him courage and suddenly, he knew what he _had_ to do.

He was going to change his major.

* * *

 **AN:** So this chapter, I realize, might step on some toes. I just want everyone to know that if you're a business major, I completely respect that and Jake's views on the major are solely his own. This fic is in no way trying to drag business majors. Also, if you find yourself following a more stable career instead of an art, I also completely respect that. The theme here is "do what makes you happiest", not "pursue your hobby".

This is a very personal subject for me. I'm an actor/writer/director and consider myself a theatre artist so this is all hits close to home. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked "what are you going to do with a theatre degree?" and how much that hurts. I just want to make it _crystal clear_ that the only commentary I'm making is that _you_ should do what _you_ want to do. If that means you want your art to be something you just do for fun, awesome! And if it means you want to pursue it professionally, that's also awesome! Okay, so we all good?

Ugggghhh! I write so angsty! I really want to write Jake as the big goofball he is, but I'm always putting him through, what I would call, _sobering_ situations so I feel like he wouldn't be as silly as usual. I'll try to incorporate more happy!Jake soon haha.

As always, thank you so much for reading and I really appreciate your feedback. I read and reply to every single one. You guys are seriously so nice, I'm either grinning like an idiot or on the verge of tears.

See you next time!


	3. No 3: Amy - Puck

**AN:** Hey everyone, welcome to Chapter 3! The song this time around is "Lyric Pieces Op.71: 3. Puck" by Edvard Grieg. Enjoy!

* * *

 **No. 3: Amy – Puck**

Amy studied the beige ceiling from the bed in her dorm room. Gina was sleep-mumbling in the dark and it kept Amy up. That wasn't strictly true. Amy's insomnia had a lot more to do with the mystery piano boy than anything else. Yes, piano _boy_. She had broken her one rule and peeked at him earlier that night. The music was just so _sad_ that she felt the need to write him a message and to well, _check-in_. She didn't get a good look though. The tiny window on the door only provided her with a look at his arm, which was certainly male. She remembered how gracefully and decidedly the hand moved…

* * *

 _The song the hands played was so different from the night before that she wondered if it was the same person playing. After a minute or two of listening, however, she was convinced it was her piano boy. The songs he played reminded her of snow falling and crying softly, full of a sweet melancholy only music could really convey. Her heart ached. She had no proof, but she knew that the hands playing were not detached from the song's message. He, whoever_ he _was, was playing what he felt and it broke her heart to know someone had to feel like that._

 _She sat down on the ground with her back against the hallway wall, closing her eyes, and drinking in the music. She saw every color, every lonely landscape, and every brittle bone in the world. How could this song make her see such thoughts? She felt the anxiety melt away from her slowly, and she bathed in the melody._

 _She thought to herself "_ what would I do without this? _"_ _and felt a spark of fear in her sternum. She quickly dived into her backpack (she brought it in case he wasn't there so she could hit the library and get some studying in) and pulled out a piece of lined paper and a sharpie. She thought carefully of what to write. If she had it her way, she'd write him an essay with cited sources, but she needed to keep it short, simple, and blunt. What did she want to convey?_

 _Then it hit her. It was everything she wanted him to know and hoped it would make him feel even the slightest bit of happiness. She slid the paper under the door and grabbed all of her things to leave, but not before taking another look at the one arm playing through the glass. She felt her heart skip a beat and then dashed out of the building, back to her dorm._

* * *

Now, she was in her dorm and all she could think about was that arm and its form. She dissected the image in her mind continuously. He was wearing a navy blue cotton jacket, as far as she could tell, and his arm was lean, but not exactly toned. She remembered the hand: strong, dexterous, and gentle. She mused that the piano player was probably very handsome. Under the covers, she quietly groaned.

" _Handsome?_ Handsome _?_ _What the hell am I thinking?_ " she thought. It was ridiculous. Why was she getting so worked up over a freaking _arm_? For all she knew, this guy could be a total tool. He could be the biggest jerk she'd ever met and yet, she couldn't believe that to be true. Whoever he was, she knew he was filled with goodness.

She tossed and turned in her bed, hoping for sleep, but she was terribly awake. She knew thoughts of the piano player stopped her from sleep, but so were the anxious feelings that accompanied the knowledge that she couldn't fall asleep because she was thinking of a boy.

" _Ugh!_ " she thought, and turned over one more time.

* * *

Amy was relieved that the next couple of weeks passed by without incident. She had finally gotten into the rhythm of university life. She knew where all of her classes were and arrived fifteen minutes early to each one. Every teacher had fallen under her goody-two-shoes spell (except for Wuntch, but Wuntch didn't like anyone) and she started to feel a little more confident that she would enjoy college.

She had to give credit to Jake, though. He had made good with his promise and introduced him to his friends.

* * *

 _"Hey guys, this is Amy" Jake said as he sat down at a large round table with Amy by his side, her face in an awkward smile._

 _"Hey" she said, also sitting. The group echoed back "hellos" and Amy noticed she knew most of them already. One was a girl named Rosa, who previously wouldn't let her take a shower in her time of need, then there was Charles, who she met in her art class, and then, unfortunately, there was Gina._

 _"_ Jake! _Why is my nerdy roommate sitting with us? I will not have my reputation tarnished by a poorly dressed book jockey" Gina said in protest._

 _"Whoa, Gina calm down. She's cool. Right, Ames?" Jake said, giving her a firm pat on the back._

 _"Yeah, totally. Cooler than the polar ice caps…which y'know, are melting due to the increasing climate change, but they're still pretty cool…like me" she said, wincing at her own horrible speech. The group stared at her._

* * *

Despite her dismal first meeting with them, she actually started to make friends with the small group. Rosa would always sit with her at meals, albeit she rarely spoke a word and when she did it was scary, but still, she sat with her. Amy and Charles would study for their art class together, making both their test scores raise. Gina, well Gina was Gina, but she seemed less inclined to make biting comments at Amy after a while. Jake also introduced her to his RA Terry, who was really nice, but also really huge and muscular. He would always come up to her and ask her how she was.

The problem now, was Jake himself. As he got to know Amy better, the more he made fun of her for being so tightly wound. Amy knew it wasn't malicious, but it infuriated her all the same. His teasing sometimes revealed her competitive, proud nature.

"You guys going to Mark's party?" Jake asked one night at dinner.

"Yeah" Rosa replied before taking a spoonful of her "Korean Bowl", whatever that was.

"It's not a party unless Gina Linetti is in attendance" she said as she continued to type away on her phone.

"Mark has the _best_ parties. It's in a big old house he inherited from his great-grandma. It was her last, dying wish that he raised his children in that house. It's kinda messed up he has ragers there, but he has a bubble machine! Terry _loves_ bubbles" Terry said.

"Awesome!" Jake said and then turned on Amy, "What about you, Hermione? Are you going or are you gonna study for your potions final?"

"Statistics, actually. Plus, parties are a waste of time. Everyone just gets super drunk and weird and then they smash things" Amy said.

"Aww come on, what if I only smash _one_ thing?" Jake asked.

"No"

"You ever even been to a party, Santiago?" Rosa asked.

"Yes, _of course_ I have" Amy said.

"Mmm, when?" Gina asked.

"L-lots of times, my parents just had a big one with all my family"

"That's not a party, it's a reunion" Rosa said.

"Oh my god, Amy _you're going_ " Jake said rolling his eyes.

"But I have to study for statistics" Amy protested and the group groaned.

"It's Friday" Charles said.

"Well, yeah, but there's a 5.6% chance that there will be a pop quiz on Monday" she said and the group stared at her.

"Ah, forget it guys, Amy wouldn't know how to have fun even if we gave her a textbook on it" Jake said.

"If there was a textbook on it, I would know how to do it" Amy snapped. Jake looked at her and scrunched up his face in amusement.

"Naw, I think Amy Santiago is incapable of having a good time"

"I can so!"

"Prove it"

" _Fine_ , I will. I'll go to your dumb party" Amy said, her blood boiling.

"Great. We need a DD!" Jake said, as he started gathering his plates.

"Wait, you just want me to be the designated driver?" Amy asked.

"No, Amy, we just actually want to be in your company" Gina said sarcastically as she left.

"Don't listen to Gina. Yes, we want you to come, but we also would really appreciate you being DD" Jake said, flashing an innocent smile.

"Yeah, come" Rosa said and the sentiment won Amy over.

"Okay, but I don't have anything to wear"

"I'll talk to Gina, she'll let you borrow something" Rosa continued.

"See? It's gonna be fun, Amy. _Fun_ " Jake said, his eyes bright and optimistic.

* * *

It was most certainly _not_ fun. Gina had jumped at the chance to get Amy out of her normal, casual clothes and put some make-up on her that wasn't just some un-even eyeliner. Gina put her in a strapless red number that didn't cover enough of her legs or her chest. Begrudgingly, Amy admitted she looked nice, but she still felt unlike herself. This feeling only escalated when the two of them met Rosa and Jake at her car. Jake looked slightly confused and didn't even make fun of her about it. Amy assumed he thought she looked weird, but didn't want to be too mean. Rosa just nodded her head in approval.

The party itself was just as uncomfortable as she speculated. Everyone was super drunk, weird, and-

"WE BELONG TO OUR BELONGINGS" said a frat boy who destroyed a vase on the floor with a pool cue.

-and yup, smashing things.

"Ugh, god" Amy said at the entrance of the large and nicely furnished house.

"Come on! This is great" Jake yelled at her before a buddy waved to him and he snuck off into the crowd. She watched Jake until he was out of sight and then looked around to see that the rest of her party had dispersed into the crowd as well.

What the hell was she supposed to do now? She sighed and made her way to the kitchen to get some water. She couldn't help but notice that a few gross frat guys were examining her like a piece of meat and that didn't make her feel better. She grabbed a red solo cup from the kitchen and got some water from the sink. She headed into the living room where students were dancing to loud hip hop music and bubbles floated around them.

As she made her way through the dance floor a couple of guys tried to dance up on her, but she quickly scurried away to a less crazy portion of the house. She leaned against a wall and took a deep breath. Rosa was right. This was _not_ like her family's parties. She took a drink of water and began to people watch.

She looked at the dance floor, bodies on bodies moving to the rhythmic beat and basically gyrating on top of each other. She saw couples making out in almost every corner. It all made her feel terribly alone. She didn't belong here. She belonged in the library, she belonged in her room studying, she belonged in the second floor hallway of the music conservatory, but she didn't belong at this big, crazy party.

Amy was so distracted by her own thoughts that she didn't notice the huge frat boy hanging over her until he put his forearm on the wall directly above her head. She let out a little squeak as he got closer, stinking of beer.

"Hey, couldn't help but notice you were all by yourself over here. Wanna spend some time with me, beautiful?" he asked, his other hand trailing her bare arm and she felt her arm burn in repulsion.

"Oh, no I'm fine, thank you" she said in a small voice.

"Come on, I can be real fun. I can make you feel _real_ good" he said, a sleazy smile creeping on his square face and Amy suddenly felt very unsafe.

"No, no I'm sorry. I have a boyfriend" she said, hoping this would make him back off.

"He doesn't have to know" he said as his hand slid to her hip. She immediately pushed his hand off.

"He's here right now so…" she trailed off, but she could tell her little push had made him angry.

"If he's here right now, why isn't he with you? Doesn't seem like a very good boyfriend to me" he said, advancing on her once again. This time she was too fast and she dodged him. She made her way into the crowd, but when she looked back he was following her. She needed to find one of her friends.

After some maneuvering, Amy found Jake near the kitchen saying goodbye to a friend. She quickly grabbed his arm and he looked at her in surprised confusion.

"Jake, _Jake_! Please pretend to be my boyfriend. There's this really creepy guy and-" Amy was cut off by Jake suddenly looking up and past her. Amy turned around and saw her stalker in front of her as panic rose in her throat. She felt a warm hand wrap around her waist and pull her in. She looked over at Jake who was smiling, looking at the frat boy.

"Hey babe, is this a friend of yours?" he asked, taking a swig of his beer.

"Oh, um…"she said.

"Wait, _you're_ her boyfriend?" the frat boy asked.

" _Oh no, he doesn't believe us_ " Amy thought. Jake just shrugged the comment off.

"That hard to believe?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, it is" he said crossing his arms. Amy realized how drunk this guy was.

" _Shit! This guy might just pick a fight with Jake_ " she thought. Amy saw the frat boy take a step towards them and felt herself get whipped around. In a flash, Amy felt plush lips on hers and hands on her back. She reacted quickly and wrapped her arms around Jake's neck while closing her eyes. She matched the motion of his lips and even popped her leg out a little for effect.

It wasn't until Jake released her, his eyes full of…something she couldn't quite pin down, that she realized the frat boy had completely disappeared.

"Oh" was the only thing she could think of to say. Amy felt the places Jake touched her burn, but in a completely different way than the frat boy had burned her. That had been all terror and constricted wind-pipes, while Jake was all goosebumps and quickening pulses. Amy ventured another look at Jake and his brown eyes. She found a smile there and heard his soft laughter.

"Well," he said, shaking his head, "I guess that's one way to make a creep disappear"

* * *

 **AN:** Finally, chapter three! Oy vey, what can I say? I'm a sucker for fake-out make-outs and the story needed some spice. Oh well, hope you like. There's lots more in store.

I think the "we belong to our belongings" is a Fight Club reference. I don't know anymore.

So I just got a job as a camp counselor this summer (which is hilarious because I just finished "Camp Safe and Amusing") and I start June 6th. I'm gonna try my best to finish this fic before then, but if not…um, well this fic will be on a long hiatus. I'll probably finish it though.

Thanks so much again for all your reviews, favorites, and love! They mean the world to me so thank you 3


	4. No 4: Jake - Nocturne

**AN:** Hey everyone, welcome to chapter 4! The song for this chapter is "Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat Major" by Chopin. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **No. 4: Jake – Nocturne**

"Want to get some air?" Jake asked Amy, his lips still tingling from their kiss.

"Yes, please" she said and they fought against the crowd to get to the backyard. Jake felt himself get hot underneath his collar, unsure if it was from the heat of too many bodies in one space, or if it was a reaction to the way Amy held onto his arm as they weaved in-and-out through the sea of people.

Jake's mind reeled. He had kissed her. He had kissed Amy. Sure, it was to avoid being beaten to death by that behemoth asshole, but he felt guilty. He hadn't really asked her permission and Jake Peralta prided himself to _never_ be one of _those guys_. He knew he had to apologize, or at least make sure she was okay. She didn't seem mad at him, so that was a good sign.

Finally, they reached the backyard, which happened to be way less crowded than Jake expected to be. Amy spotted a couple of lawn chairs and sat down. She sank into a chair and put both hands on her face.

"Ugggggggh!" she groaned as her hands slid down her face, "men are the _worst_ "

"Yeah, after that guy, I can't argue with that" Jake said.

"Like, who does that? Why would anyone think it's okay to follow me around after I told him 'no'?" she asked, getting herself wound up.

"I have no idea" Jake admitted.

"And what's up with him needing to see _proof_ I have a boyfriend? So, what? The only time it's okay for a guy to back off is if I'm _owned_ by another man? He's respectful of not taking some other man's 'woman', but he's not respectful of my 'no'? How _dare_ he? _This_ is why I hate parties!" Amy ranted, her face scrunching up in anger the more she talked.

"Yeah, I know. Total asshat"

"TOTAL asshat!" she agreed.

"Hey, Amy?" Jake asked.

"What?" she snapped, but Jake knew she was still riding on her rant wave so he didn't let it bother him.

"Just…wanted to say sorry about my, uh, _methods_. I just didn't know what else to do and I acted kind of impulsively" he said, looking at her, but then at his bottle when her gaze proved too much.

"Oh, don't even worry about it. I was seriously about to do it myself, but you beat me to it. That guy would have killed you if we didn't convince him"

"Wow, you're taking this whole kiss situation surprisingly well" Jake said, taken aback by the knowledge that _she_ was about to kiss _him_.

"What? It's not like it was my first time or anything"

"Really?"

"Yes, Jake, _really_. Believe it or not, I had a boyfriend in high school" Amy said.

"Really? Was he the president of AV club?" Jake asked as a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

" _No!_ He played trumpet in our school marching band" she said, as if this was something to be proud of.

"Oh my god, trumpet? That's literally the nerdiest of all instruments. Wait did he kiss you like your lips were a mouthpiece?" Jake asked as he made a circle with his fingers and put his lips in the center, trading off blowing air and making kissing noises.

"Ew no," she said, but then thought about it, "okay, maybe a little at first, but after we got the hang of it he was _very_ good"

"Yeah, but not Peralta-good, right?" Jake joked and Amy made a sympathetic face at him.

"Aw, Jake…I'd definitely give you an A for effort" she said and Jake threw a bottle cap he had in his pocket at her.

"Oh, hardy har har" he said and she giggled.

"What about you? Who was your first kiss?" Amy asked.

"Jenny Gildenhorn when I was thirteen. We had two unbelievable weeks together before she dumped me for Eddie Fung at my Bar Mitzvah" Jake said, looking into the distance.

"Oh, God. That's brutal. You must have been really bad when you were thirteen" she said with a straight face and this time Jake threw a nearby acorn at her.

They talked outside for the rest of the party and Jake realized that Amy Santiago did, in fact, know how to have fun.

* * *

Jake's first semester flew by faster than he could have imagined. He was proud to have made it through his finals with adequate grades and he even had a meeting with a counselor to change his major. He had to have a meeting with the head of music before they'd let him in though, and he was more nervous for it than any of his finals.

* * *

" _You want to be a music major?" Ray Holt, the head of music, asked him._

" _Yup. That's why I'm here" Jake said as he stood opposite of the man sitting behind his desk._

" _And what would you like to have your emphasis in?" Holt asked._

" _Piano" Jake said with a triumphant smile._

" _Piano? Mr. Peralta, I won't lie to you. Our piano track is quite rigorous and you're a semester behind. I'm afraid I'd have to assess your skills before I let you into the course"_

" _I'll play whatever you want. I'm good" Jake said, but he felt his confidence waning._

" _Very well. Follow me" he said as he stood up and headed out his office. Jake followed him down a couple of staircases to the second floor practice rooms. Holt opened a door and let Jake in. Jake sat down at the piano as Holt picked a songbook off of a nearby shelf. He flipped through a couple of pages, looked up at Jake, and then down at the book._

" _Hmm, yes. Let's go with that. Alright, Mr. Peralta, I'd like you to choose a song you're familiar with and then I'd like to see how well you handle sight-reads" Holt said and Jake was glad he brought a couple of songbooks with him._

" _Any particular era you want to hear?" Jake asked._

" _No, just play what shows you off best" he said as he sat down in a nearby chair. Jake looked through his books and decided on a jazz piece he'd been practicing for the past couple of weeks. He figured jazz would be a good contrast to whatever Holt would pick, since it'd probably be something classic. He put the book in front of him, took a deep breath, and began to play._

 _He tried to ignore the constant gaze he felt coming from Holt as he concentrated on the sheet music. He was nervous, but Jake thrived under pressure and when the song was over, he was convinced it was one of his best runs with it. Jake looked over at Holt, hoping for a sign of approval. He got none, as Holt seemed incapable of expressing emotion. Instead, Holt nodded._

" _Yes, now, I'd like you to try_ Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat Major _by Chopin. Are you very familiar with the piece?" Holt asked, giving Jake the book._

" _It's pretty well known, but I've only every played it once or twice" Jake said, taking the sheet music and putting it on the music rack._

" _Give it a try" Holt said and went back to his seat. Jake read the sheet music a couple times through, hoping he could play it without too many hiccups. He started on the piece and was able to get through most of it without having to pause and figure out where he was. It certainly wasn't one of his best performances, but he felt it was pretty solid for a sight-read._

 _When Jake was done he looked over at Holt who looked at him with a hand on his chin, deep in thought._

" _Did I stun you into silence?" Jake asked, but Holt just stared on._

" _Hmm," Holt murmured as he stood up and walked to the back of the piano, "Mr. Peralta, you are heavy-handed and your posture is abysmal"_

" _Oh" Jake said, a pit forming in his stomach._

" _However, I'd be lying if I said you weren't gifted. I'm certain that if you work hard, you can catch up with your classmates in no time"_

" _Does this mean I'm in?"_

" _Yes, Mr. Peralta you're in. When signing up for your classes, make sure you take 'Jazz Harmonic Techniques One'. I'll be teaching it in the spring and I'd like to see you there" Holt said, heading out the door._

" _Yes, sir!" Jake called after him with a huge grin on his face._

* * *

Jake made a point to practice every night until finals were over. Then, when he was back at his mom's house, he'd practice on his keyboard every day. His frequenting the Music Conservatory meant that he got a few more notes from his mysterious listener. A couple of them had said pretty mundane things like "I really liked that song", but he did get one that said "I think you're getting even better". The notes were always few-and-far-between, but he treasured them. He was tempted to stop mid-song and run to the door to see who was there, listening and encouraging him, but he never could bring himself to do it. There was a certain magic to having a muse floating around outside the door, never seen, but always felt. He didn't want to ruin that.

At least, not yet.

* * *

 **AN:** Yay! We got to meet Holt! I actually really like writing him, but I don't get a chance to write him too often.

I'm not really a musically literate person so I hope all of the music mumbo-jumbo is accurate. I'm trying my best to research!

This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but as I was writing I realized I wanted to save what I was going to do for a little later. Ah, well. Chapter 5 will be up soon.

Thank you for all your support! It really means a lot and I treasure it deeply.


	5. No 5: Amy - Georgiana

**AN:** Welcome to Chapter 5! This chapter's song is "Georgiana" by Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Enjoy!

* * *

 **No. 5: Amy – Georgiana**

"What? You're in this class?" Amy asked as none other than Jake Peralta walked in the door, promptly taking a seat down next to her. Today was the first day of the spring semester and Amy had not expected to see him in her World Theatre class.

"Yup! Good thing too, because my grade's gonna go way, way up after I copy all of your answers" Jake said with a wide grin.

"You will do no such thing!" she said, protecting her notes.

"Ahh, you're such a wet blanket. Still, pretty cool we have this together. I was sure I was going to die of boredom if I had to go through this alone. Still a possibility, actually" Jake said, grabbing a disheveled notebook from his trash-filled backpack.

"Are you kidding? How could you be bored? We're going to be reading a bunch of plays from all over the world. What's not to like?" Amy asked, already thumbing through her brand new copy of _Uncle Vanya_.

"I guess a play is better than twelve chapters of mind-numbing textbooks" Jake begrudgingly agreed. Amy looked over at him while he fished for a pen in his disgusting backpack. She knew he was probably going to be super annoying and distracting, but she couldn't help but feel happy she had a class with him. She actually kind of missed him over winter break, though she'd never tell him that.

* * *

There was another person Amy missed even more than Jake, though and that was her piano player. While back at her parents' house, Amy found she couldn't quite calm down anymore without putting on some Beethoven or Mozart. The recordings weren't quite the same. Amy knew the pianists in the recordings were technically more skilled, but she missed the little imperfections. She missed the rawness of his performances and the way she could feel the vibrations from the instrument through the wall and floor. She missed her private concerts.

* * *

After Amy had gotten her dinner, she impatiently waited for 9:30 to come around. The pianist was pretty consistent with practicing in the late evening and Amy could normally always find him at 9:30. There were times where she came earlier or later, but never found him. She would wonder if she passed him as he was coming out, while she was coming in, or vice versa. She fantasized about bumping into him, her notes going everywhere, and him, with his strong hands, helping her to pick them up. The classic meet-cute.

Amy smiled to herself, but quickly wiped it away. It probably wasn't a good thing that she was fantasizing about a guy she'd never met. It was just so hard not to think of the possibilities. The whole thing was pretty romantic and Amy Santiago, if she was honest with herself, was a romantic at heart.

* * *

At 9:30 Amy rushed over to the Music building, unable to contain her excitement. She walked into the predictably empty lobby and went upstairs. As she climbed the stairs, she was greeted by a song. Her heart skipped a beat.

" _He_ is _here_ " she thought and she half-ran to his normal practice room. It was definitely him playing, but the song was one she'd never heard before, lighter and possibly more modern. Amy wasn't sure. She didn't have too much knowledge of music, despite dating a musician in her high school days.

Amy closed her eyes and listened, a bit of tension releasing in her chest as the melody played on. She really, _really_ had missed this. She took her normal seat on the floor next to the door and sighed, feeling completely at piece, that was, until she saw it.

Amy's eyes widened as she saw a note on the ground in front of the door with ungodly scrawl on it. The sight of the note startled her. She knew this was meant for her because it was presented in the same fashion she presented her notes to him. There's was something about the note that made her unbelievably nervous.

" _What if I'm bothering him?_ " she thought, and he heart broke at the idea. Were her notes too pushy? Had she been stepping out of line this whole time? Amy's heart tightened painfully. She knew she couldn't ignore it, but, oh, how she wanted to. She took a deep breath and read the paper:

 **Who are you?**

Amy almost laughed. Was that it? Still, a part of her worried this wasn't a friendly inquiry. What if he really was annoyed? Amy tried to think positively and replied with a vague response:

 **I guess you could call me a fan.**

That seemed safe enough for now. She felt her stomach do flips as she sent it in through the bottom of the door. She listened to as much of his practice session as she could, but left early.

* * *

The next night, Amy came back and found another note. This one seemed to show the writer's personality and intentions a little better.

 **Cool. Are you more of a roadie or a groupie?**

Amy smiled. Well, at least he wasn't humorless. If he was cracking jokes that probably meant he didn't hate her right? She wrote back quickly:

 **I'm female, if that's what you're asking. Am I bothering you? If I am, just let me know. I'll leave.**

Amy thought it would best just to ask him bluntly so she didn't have to keep worrying about it.

* * *

The next day she approached the room with knots in her stomach. She saw the note and immediately picked it up. She noticed that was much longer than the others. She began reading:

 **You're not bothering me at all. I actually wanted to thank you. You kinda helped me figure out some stuff, so thanks. I was wondering if we could talk a little? Instead of just one sentence at a time. I'm getting a little frustrated over here.**

Amy blushed. He wanted to _talk_ to her? She had helped him through some _stuff_? What was happening? She wrote back her reply and decided not to stick around:

 **I don't think I want us to meet, but if you want, we can send each other notes through the door for a little while. You get here at your normal time and I'll come at mine. Deal?**

* * *

The next day, Amy could not shake off her nerves. She never expected her piano player to make contact with her. What if he wanted to talk face-to-face? Amy knew she'd probably just act really weird and ruin absolutely everything. Then, there was the possibility of him not meeting _her_ expectations. She had already created this ideal of him, so how in the world could he possibly match that?

" _Why did I ever write him that note in the first place?_ " she asked herself, dread setting in. As much as the entire situation scared her, there was a small part of her that was optimistic.

" _Maybe he'll be even better than you thought_ " her inner-optimist said. It was that thought alone that got her to the music building.

* * *

When she arrived, a song was playing and a note was waiting for her at the door. She picked it up:

 **Deal. I'm gonna practice for a while and then I'll sit right next to the door.**

Amy took a deep breath in and wrote back:

 **Okay, I'm here.**

Amy sat down next to the door and let his song ease her worries. After all, what was there to be worried about? She was just going to talk to a guy. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Her rationale didn't stop her from tapping her foot nervously as she listened to the song slow and fade to a stop. After a few seconds Amy could feel the soft vibrations of him stepping towards her. With each step her heart rate quickened. She saw a shadow block light from the thin slip underneath the door, and felt him slide down the same wall she was leaning against. She could almost feel his weight against the wall, almost as if they were touching. She heard the rustling of papers and knew he was writing back. In a moment, he sent her back a sheet of lined paper with his message in the top line.

" _Hey_ "

" _Hi_ " she wrote back.

" _Thanks for coming_ "

" _Yeah, of course. That was a really nice song_ "

" _Thanks. I learned it in class_ " he wrote.

" _I probably should have guessed you were a music major_ "

" _I wasn't at first. I was a business major, but it made me want to throw myself into one of the fountains on campus and beg for death_ "

" _Yikes. That bad, huh?"_

" _Worse. That's actually why I wanted to talk to you. Remember when you wrote me the first time?_ " he asked.

" _Yeah_ "

" _Well, it kind of kicked my ass into finally changing majors. So, thanks_ " he wrote and Amy felt her cheeks get hot.

" _I didn't really do anything_ "

" _No, you did a lot. Trust me_ " he continued and Amy's blush deepened.

" _Why weren't you a music major in the first place?_ "

" _Wellllll, it's kind of a long story, but basically because my mom said 'no'_ " he wrote.

" _Yeesh. That's rough. How'd she take it when you switched?_ " Amy asked.

" _Well, she doesn't exactly know_ "

" _Ahhh_ "

" _I'll tell her eventually. Like…on graduation day_ " he wrote and Amy chuckled.

" _I'd be a wreck if I were you. I can't keep anything from my mom. All she had to do was look at me and she knew I sneaked into my dad's office to play CEO again_ " she wrote and she could swear she heard him stifle a laugh.

" _You played_ CEO _when you were a kid?_ " he asked.

" _Yeah. Doesn't everybody?_ "

" _No. Most human children I know play cops and robbers_ "

" _Well, that's a good game too_ "

" _Cops and robbers is the best!_ " he wrote.

" _You know, your handwriting is shamefully bad. Especially for someone who works with his fingers_ "

" _I honestly feel so attacked right now_ " he said.

" _You 'hornily peel stacked high not'?_ " she asked, feeling braver by the minute.

"I HONESTLY FEEL SO ATTACKED RIGHT NOW" he wrote in big capitals.

" _Oooh. See,_ that _I can read_ "

"SHOULD I WRITE LIKE THIS FROM NOW ON?"

" _No. I feel like you're screaming at me_ "

"YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF"

" _Oh my god_ "

They prattled on for an hour, both of them doing their best to stifle their laughter. Amy heard him laugh a few times and theorized he probably had a sexy voice. Amy looked down at her watch and was disappointed that it was already so late.

" _Hey, I'm gonna go. I have an early class tomorrow_ " Amy wrote.

" _Kay. Want to do this again tomorrow?_ " he asked and Amy's heart leaped into her throat.

" _Sure_ "

" _Cool. You leave first. I'm gonna practice for ten more minutes_ "

" _Okay, bye_ " she wrote and then quickly slid the paper underneath the door. It came back out fast.

" _See ya! Except that I won't…_ " he wrote. Amy just shook her head and smiled, then headed back to her dorm.

* * *

The air was crisp and chilly as she headed down the path that led to the commons. It was cold outside, but her skin was hot. Amy knew the sensation was the pianists doing. She thought of their conversation and she blushed even deeper. Amy was pretty sure that was the equivalent of a first date that went _very_ well. Like, really, _really_ well. She caught herself smiling and it only made the smile wider. She felt _giddy_. Amy wasn't sure if anyone had ever made her _giddy_ before, but sure as the sun, this guy had made her so.

And he wanted to talk to her _again_. Her smile got wider. There was no denying it now. The thought might have mortified her before, but now? Now she knew.

She was totally head-over-heels for the piano player.

* * *

 **AN:** Crushing it with chapter #5. I hope their written conversation was easy to follow? It was hard to figure out what would be the clearest way to present it, but I think it worked out.

Oh, definitely expect some nerdy play references. It's no accident they're in a Theatre Lit class. Mama's got to put that theatre degree to use.

Next chapter will feature some fun new developments so stay tuned.

Thank you for all your support! I appreciate every single favorite and review. Thank you very much!


	6. No 6: Jake - Clair De Lune

**AN:** Hey guys, welcome to chapter six! The song for this chapter is "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy

* * *

 **No. 6: Jake –Clair de Lune**

Jake woke from sleep, his hair messy, his eye lids heavy, and saw light coming in through the blind slates of his window. The early morning light illuminated the dust particles gently falling in the air and the image put Jake at ease, peaceful. He had woken up from the nicest dream. He dreamt of the girl at the door. He couldn't quite remember what had happened in the dream, but he remembered the feeling of a piece of paper sliding underneath a door with a message just for him on it. He remembered dreaming of the soft, stifled giggles he heard through the door when he sent her a joke and how it sent shivers up his spine. He also dreamt of Amy. He saw her face the moment right after he kissed her months ago at Mark's party. The image was pristine in his mind: her surprised expression, her pink cheeks, the shine in her eyes and the way they looked at his lips for the briefest of seconds.

Jake took a deep in and let out a pained moan. The dream was supposed to be pleasant, not make him spiral into a pit of confusion. There was definitely a spark between him and the muse, but he was starting to come to terms that he held a small torch for Amy as well. Jake sat up and rubbed his face, banishing the last bits of sleepiness. He sighed and inhaled guilt. What was he going to do? Did he have to choose who to pursue? What if they both liked him? What if neither of them did? Was it messed up just thinking like this? They were human beings, not different kinds of cookies.

As Jake got ready for his class he remembered he had class with Amy and that he was planning on "seeing-but-not-seeing" his muse later that night. His chest tightened at the thought. Getting to spend time with either of them was enough to make him happy, but the future of his predicament freaked him out. He took another inhale and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

* * *

Jake sat down in the desk next to Amy, but was surprised when she didn't look up and greet him. Instead, she was looking at her hands and smiling sweetly to herself. It made him smile as well.

"Earth to Amy!" Jake said as he snapped his fingers. She woke from her daydream and whipped her head towards him.

"Oh, hey, I didn't see you come in" she said, flustered.

"Yeah, I know. What are you smiling like an idiot about?" he asked, his teasing grin resurfacing.

"What? I wasn't-"

"You absolutely were"

"Okay, _fine_. Something good happened last night" she said.

"What? Did you get laid or something?" he asked.

" _No!_ Ugh, you're so vulgar"

"Thanks, now what happened?" he asked, but was cut short when the professor came in and started class.

Jake's eyes glazed over as their professor explained why it was inevitable that the guy in that one play had sex with his mother and then stabbed his eyes out. Even gore and incest couldn't make ancient Greek plays appealing to him. Jake didn't stir from his zombie-like state until the professor made mention of a new group project she was assigning.

"For this assignment you're going to partnering up with someone (your choice) and together you'll work on a Power Point presentation about a translated work. For the last ten minutes of class, pick your partner, then come to me and I'll assign you a play" their professor said, going on to explain the details of the project. When she was finished, the class buzzed with excitement while they searched for partners. Jake immediately looked over at Amy.

"Partners?" he asked.

"Yes, but only if you _promise_ to read the play _and_ actually do some work on it" she said, her gaze serious.

"I _will_ " Jake said, rolling his eyes.

"Good, partners it is," she said, a smug smile creeping on her face, "let's get our play"

They walked to the front and Amy asked for their assignment.

"Santiago and Peralta?" she asked.

"That's us" Jake confirmed and she wrote down their names in a notebook.

"Alright, let's give you… _Cyrano De Bergerac_ by Edmond Rostand. I recommend you find a translation by Brian Hooker. Have fun, that's a good one" she said and they thanked her as they headed out of the class.

"What'd she give us?" Jake asked, annoyed that the title didn't seem to have any words in it.

" _Cyrano De Bergerac_. It's French? Really famous? Guy with the huge nose?" Amy asked, hoping to ring some bells. Jake snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

"Pinocchio!"

" _No!_ It's the play _Roxanne_ was based on?" she tried. This time a light bulb went on.

"Ooooh, yeah! Cool, we don't even need to read it, we can just watch _Roxanne_ " he said and it earned him an impressive glare from Amy.

"Jake…" she warned.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'll read it"

"Good, wanna work on it in the library tomorrow?"

"What? It's not due for like three weeks"

"Yeah, I know. It's really coming up fast" she said in earnest. Jake groaned.

"God, _fine_. Meet at five and get dinner afterwards?" he asked.

"Sounds good"

* * *

The next day, Jake was able to purchase the play, but didn't accomplish much else. He tried to read the first act, but had no idea what was happening. At five o'clock, Jake met Amy on the second floor of the library.

"Hey" he said as set his bag down.

"Hey! Did you read the play?" she asked excitedly. Jake paused and looked her.

"I…purchased the play. 'Cause, y'know, it's been _one day_ "

"Jake, we only have twenty days left" Amy whined.

"You're crazy"

"You haven't even _started_ it?"

"I started it, but it was super boring so I stopped" Jake said.

"Well, no wonder! It doesn't really get good until act two" she said, looking admirably at her copy.

"I can't get into it" he admitted.

"The first act is just confusing you because it's supposed to be the chaos right before everyone sits down to watch a play"

"Ugh, God, so boring" he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Maybe you should watch the movie first…" Amy said.

" _Roxanne?!_ " he asked, excited.

" _No!_ There was an old black-and-white movie that's supposed to stay really true to the script. Our teacher _did_ say plays are meant to be watched, not read. Maybe if you watch it first it'll be easier to read it"

"Sweet! Screening at my dorm on Friday?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess we can do that" she said.

"Awesome" he said as he stood up.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked.

"Back to my dorm. It's not like we can do anything right now"

"Oh, no, no, no. Jake, we have to decide on our slide template!"

"Are you being serious?" he asked and she gave him a stern look. He sat back down.

* * *

After over two hours of listening to Amy analyze forty-five different Power Point templates, Jake begged for mercy. She finally agreed to get dinner after she heard Jake's stomach violently growl. After dinner, Jake tried to get through the play, but failed once again. He abandoned _Cyrano_ and decided to head to the music building a little early. Though he loved his chats with the girl on the other side of the door, their correspondence did cut into his practice time. He couldn't complain though. The only had two conversations so far, but they were really, really great conversations. She was funny, and smart, and she gave him really good advice. He was excited to talk to her and he knew that meant something significant. Tonight was no different.

He took a short break from his practicing and saw a note by the door. He smiled and went over to it, his heart skipping beats.

* * *

This continued every night that week and each night, Jake found more and more reason to fall for her. He felt himself grow impatient and knew he wanted to meet her face-to-face soon. The prospect made him nervous since he knew it could potentially burst the bubble they found themselves in, but that's exactly why Jake wanted to do this sooner rather than later. If they dug themselves any deeper into each other, and then realized the chemistry didn't exist off the paper…well, it'd be a lot messier. That worried him more than anything.

He made a decision to ask her out on Friday, right after watching _Cyrano_ with Amy. It might make him feel a little confused, but he was determined to do this as soon as possible.

* * *

Friday at five o' clock, Jake heard a knock on his dorm room door. He opened it and Amy greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, ready to watch the hell out of this movie?" he asked as he beckoned her to come in.

"You know it. I brought popcorn" she said, putting her purse on the floor and holding out her offering.

"Noice!" Jake said and took the popcorn bag to his microwave.

"Do you have a copy of it?" Amy asked.

"Nope, but it's on YouTube" Jake answered as he pressed start on the microwave. While the popcorn popped, Jake rolled his night stand near the middle of his twin bed that was up against the north wall. He put his lap top on the night stand and pulled up the movie. The timer went off on the microwave and Jake grabbed the popcorn. He sat at the center of his mattress, back leaning against the wall, and patted the bed to invite Amy to sit next to him.

"I got a spot with your name on it" he said, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth. She climbed up on his bed next to him and took the bag of popcorn from him.

"Don't eat it all!"

"Sorry, sorry," Jake said, and remembered something from a few days ago, "Hey, Amy, what happened that day you were smiling like a doofus in class?"

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about" she said, unconvincingly. Jake gave her a knowing look.

"You said something good happened the night before" he poked.

"Don't remember" she shrugged.

"Bull! Tell me!"

"Ugh, you're annoying"

"Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! I can do this all day. Tell me! Tell me! Tell-"

"Oh my god, shut up! Jesus, I met a guy, okay?" she said, cutting him off. Jake felt his heart drop.

"You met somebody?" he asked.

"Yes, Jake. That's what I said" she said, crossing her arms.

"Like, a guy?" he asked.

"Yes, Jake. A guy, okay? I met a guy and he's really great and I like him, okay?" she asked, her patience wearing thin.

"Oh" he said, the weight of her words were heavier on his heart than he anticipated.

"Alright, now that the secret's out, can you please stop needling me so we can watch the movie?" she asked.

"Sure, pass the popcorn"

* * *

The movie started and Jake mentally groaned at how boringly black-and-white it was. The movie seemed to drag on and on…until suddenly it didn't. After Cyrano beat a hundred men in one night with his mad sword fighting skillz (yes, skillz with a 'z'), Jake was hooked. He got so enraptured, in fact, that he may have teared up once or twice. Cyrano's love for Roxanne was just so pure!

The movie ended, the final scene hanging in the air and Jake looked on in silence. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape, and he might have had some tears threatening to spill out.

"Pretty great, huh?" Amy asked looking over at Jake and realizing his state.

"What? Pfft, no that was super…boring. So much dumb romance garbage" he said, his voice entering higher registers. Amy smirked at him.

"Uh huh. So the water coming out of your eyes is completely unrelated to the movie?" she asked and Jake quickly wiped the traitorous tears from his cheeks.

"Allergies"

"Right"

"Shut up"

"So, ideas for the project?" she asked, a smug smirk still on her face.

"Well, we should definitely play up how much of a badass Cyrano was: poet, swordsman, awesome friend. He actually reminds me a lot of myself" Jake said, recovering from his previous emotional state. Amy scoffed at him.

"The only thing _you_ have in common with Cyrano is his profile" Amy said and Jake's floor hit the ground. Amy looked at him, trying to contain a huge smile from forming on her face, but failing miserably as Jake stood in shocked awe of her sick burn. His face was too much and she burst out laughing, unable to stop.

"Amy. Santiago. That was _mean_ " Jake said, but laughing despite himself. He playfully slapped her shoulders and as she continued to be overwhelmed with laughter, she grabbed his hands and pushed them away from her, resulting in a playful tussle.

"I'm sorry…I'm so…sorry…you just walked right into it and I couldn't…stop myself…It was so funny…" she said in between fits of laughter. Jake thought it was one of the most pleasant things he'd ever heard, but also vaguely familiar.

"You know what's also funny?" he asked and didn't wait for a response before he started tickling her.

"NO! No, no, stop!" she pleaded, still laughing. She grabbed his wrists and pushed them back with such force that she lost her balance and fell into his chest. She immediately pushed herself back up, using his arms as leverage and looked up at him, their eyes locking. Amy's laughter died in her chest as they realized how close they were to each other. Jake looked into her eyes, hypnotized and unable to move. Amy didn't move either, so he assumed she was as well. His eyes finally unlocked from her eyes to look down at her pretty lips. He felt his heart hammering against his chest and forced himself to look back at her eyes, only to see _she_ was looking at _his_ lips now.

Her eyes found their way back up to his and Jake felt an astronomical pull towards her. He commanded himself to stay put, but he felt like the north pole of a magnet begging to collide with the south pole. It took considerable effort to keep himself back and he swore he saw the same struggle in Amy's expression.

Then, very suddenly, she turned away from him and leapt off the bed. Jake let out a breath he realized he had been holding.

"Great, we did a lot of great work today and um, I'll see you in class Monday, and we can go from there" She said, gathering her belongings.

"Yup yup yup yup sounds good cool cool cool" he said, panicking.

"Yeah, see you soon!" she said, fleeing the room. Once the door was shut, Jake let out a long groan and sunk his head in his hands.

* * *

As Jake walked to the music building, he continued to replay the Cyrano incident in his head. What in the world was that? And what did it mean for them? Jake sighed and shook his head. What did it matter? Amy already had someone she liked and sure, there was… _chemistry_ between them, but Jake was certain that the other guy was the thing that made Amy turn away from him. Jake was pretty sure that if they had stared at each other for any longer than they did…well, he might have had to cancel his piano practice.

Jake felt another pang of guilt. This entire thing felt like he was cheating. He hadn't made anyone promises or broken any sort of trust, but a part of him felt dirty. This situation got more and more complicated with every passing day.

" _Maybe I shouldn't ask her out tonight_ " Jake thought as he entered the music building. If he thought about it logically, it would be a much smarter move to pursue muse girl. There was an undeniable spark between them and she was single, but she was also a wild card. With Amy, it was "what you see is what you get" and there was undoubtedly a spark there as well, but she had someone else she liked. Jake groaned. He couldn't wait to sit at the piano and clear his head. It felt like it might explode if he didn't do some maintenance.

He walked up the stairs, his mind still running in circles, and turned down the hallway. As soon as he turned down the corner, he saw a figure sitting in front of the piano practice room. Jake hid behind the stairway wall, moving faster than he ever had in his life.

" _She's_ here _. Why is she here? It's too early. Why is she here?_ " Jake thought, panicking. As he hid behind the wall, the muse out of sight, he let the initial image he saw sink. Something was familiar about her figure. He only got a quick look at her, but he immediately recognized something. He thought about the figure and I tried to match it to something somehow, but had no luck.

Before reason or thought could interfere, Jake's instincts took the reins and he peeked his head out from the corner of the wall.

Jake felt like someone had just punched him in the gut, as he processed that the girl on the other side of the door, his muse, his guardian angel, was none other than Amy Santiago. Jake held his breath as he took another furtive look at her. She was writing something down on a piece of paper and then laying it in front of the door, but then picked it up and crumpled it. She had just removed all doubt from Jake's mind that they were the same person and it all suddenly made perfect sense.

Jake felt his knees give as the force of the realization pushed him to the grown. Jake couldn't think. The only thing going through his mind was the name " _Amy_ " playing over and over again. He tried rational thought, tried to understand the explosion happening in his chest, but all he could think was " _Amy_ ".

It was as if the feelings he had for both girls had collided together violently, leaving his heart in car-crash ruin. His innards were full of carnage, dismay, and confusion. For a minute he thought he might actually vomit. He took in deep breaths.

Finally, his brain got off its " _Amy_ " track and began thinking millions of things at once.

" _It's her. It's Amy. It's always been Amy. She's Amy. Why is she early? Was she trying to meet me? Why would she break our deal? Should I meet her? What if she hates that I'm me and we never speak to each other again? Will I disappoint her? Or was the other guy she was talking about earlier actually_ me _this whole time and she likes_ me _?! Should I talk to her? What do I say? What do I do?_ " he thought, working himself into a panic. He was almost to the point of hyperventilating when he decided it was time to book it the hell out of there.

Jake ran down the stairs and out the building, only deciding to walk when he was five hundred feet away from the mind continued to race, refusing to give him a moment of peace. As he walked, his breath started to go back to normal and his heart beat went back down to a non-dangerous speed.

The dust and debris started to clear from his mind and he did his best to evaluate the situation.

" _It was good I left…_ " he thought. If he stayed and revealed himself to her, he could have ruined everything, especially with how much it shocked him. He was definitely not in the right state-of-mind to handle such a delicate situation. Jake knew, from here on, he had to continue with caution. It was far too easy to imagine Amy realizing who he was and then bolting. The thought of her rejecting him hit him harder than if a meteorite were to land on him. It was devastating just to imagine, let alone live through.

Jake took in a shaky breath and acknowledged how high the stakes were for him now. He had to plan carefully.

Because there was no way in hell he was going to let the girl of his _actual_ dreams get away.

* * *

 **AN:** Guys, I'm so glad this chapter is out. I think this one of my very favorite things I've written, so I really hope you guys like it too! I'm really having a lot of fun with this fic, I can't wait to get the whole thing out!

"Clair de Lune" translates to "Moonlight" in French.

So I am actual _Cyrano De Bergerac_ trash. It's one of my absolute favorite plays and it's amazing. For context, there is an actual YouTube video of the entire 1950 José Ferrer movie in HD. Search it! I seriously recommend watching. José Ferrer is amazing. He won best actor for his performance, making him the first Hispanic Academy Award winner. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie.

There's Motion City Soundtrack reference hidden in there somewhere.

Thank you guys so much for reading and commenting. The responses I got from the last chapter literally made me cry they were so kind. I really appreciate your kindness and it really makes me want to get chapters out to you asap! I promise I'm going to do everything I can to finish this before I head to camp. Love you guys 3


	7. No 7: Amy - Butterfly

**AN:** Welcome to chapter seven! The song for this chapter is "Butterfly Waltz" by Brian Crain.

* * *

 **No. 7: Amy – Butterfly**

Amy clutched her pillow to her chest and buried her chin in it. She begged for sleep, but it refused her. She wished for peaceful oblivion, but her memories of the day would not stop haunting her. She snapped her eyes shut and tried to expel them from her mind, but they only came back even more vivid than before.

" _Stupid Jake. Stupid, stupid, stupid Jake_ " she thought, over and over again. She tightened her grip on the pillow, hoping she could squeeze some comfort out of it.

She almost kissed Jake and not because she was trying to get a creepy guy to leave her alone, but because a part of her wanted to. She wanted to kiss his stupid, cute, big-nosed, stupid face and it took an act of God to pull away from him. She remembered everything so vividly: the soft look in his eyes after she glanced at his lips, the way his shirt smelled like old spice and laundry detergent, and the heat of his arms underneath her hands. All she had to do was move herself forward a little bit and they would have made contact.

Amy imagined his lips on hers. They'd done it once before, but she wasn't present for that kiss. She didn't take the time to appreciate it in her desperation to get the frat boy to leave her alone. Her lips tingled with the idea of _really_ kissing him. She grew uneasy and began tossing and turning in her bed. She didn't _want_ to be attracted to Jake. She liked her piano player. Of that, she was sure.

A wave of guilt hit her. She knew she had strong feelings for the piano player, but she worried she wouldn't be attracted to him if she met him. What if he was ugly? Grotesque, even?

"' _How could he ever be grotesque? Ever to me?'_ " she thought, thinking of Roxanne. She suddenly felt ashamed of herself. What should it matter if he wasn't the most handsome guy she'd ever seen? The letters they shared, the music that soothed her, healed her- all of that meant way more than soft eyes and a kind smile. Jake was a warm body, tempting, but fleeting. Yes, they were friends, but the spark…that was just because he was there, a result of circumstance. The feelings between her and the piano player were _real_.

That's what she told herself at least. It was what made her impulsively head over to the music building a whole hour earlier than she usually did. She knew if she showed up early, they'd be forced to see each other and then, Amy could prove to herself just where her affections lied. It was good in theory, except that he never came. She sat by herself in the hallway for hours and never saw a trace of him. They'd been meeting every night and he never made any mention of some other engagement for that night in particular. Why hadn't he come?

A part of Amy thought it was for the better. She had acted out impulsively and selfishly. What if he wasn't ready to meet her yet? It wasn't fair that she just sprang it on him, they needed to decide together. Amy decided that she would discuss it with him the next night. She needed to handle this head on.

* * *

Her plan proved difficult as her piano player didn't show up for an entire week. Every night she went and sat in an empty, silent hallway for a couple of hours, but every night she went. Sometimes she would bring her books and study, and sometimes she would just sit there and miss him. As each day passed without hearing from him, Amy grew more disheartened. She had no idea how to reach out to him. On the seventh day, her melancholy was starting to show.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Jake asked as he set his tray down in the spot next to hers on the dining hall table. Amy lifted her head from the palm she was leaning on to look at him.

"It's nothing. I'm fine" she said.

"I know you're lying. You're terrible liar"

"I'm _fine_ " she repeated.

"You're _not_. Talk to me" he said, his eyes kind. Amy felt a surge of affection for him just then. Despite their awkward moment a week ago, Jake had continued to be her friend and was courteous enough to pretend like nothing happened between them. She decided that she could trust in her friendship with him. She took a deep breath.

"You know that guy I told you about?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he's kind of been standing me up" she said, a weight lifting from her chest.

"Kind of?" he asked. He looked oddly uncomfortable, but she ignored it.

"Well, we never made _plans_ to meet. We've just been meeting at the same time, same place every night for the past couple of weeks and he suddenly stopped coming" she said.

"Why don't you just text him and ask to meet up?"

"Well, I can't really do that…" she said, embarrassed.

"Why?"

"It's complicated. If I tell you, you have to promise not to make fun of me" She said, staring at him with stern eyes.

"On my honor!" he said and she took another deep breath. She went on to explain how she came to meet the boy playing the piano, how they communicated with notes through a door, and how they kept their identities a secret from each other.

"So you don't even know this guy's name?" Jake asked. Amy shook her head.

"I know, it's crazy, but I think we both got so swept up in how, I dunno, I guess how _romantic_ the whole thing was. I mean, at first he was like this ethereal being that made me feel better when I was sad, and then I sent him that first note, and suddenly…I don't know" Amy said, getting more embarrassed the more she talked about it.

"You started having feelings for him?" he asked, with an unfamiliar serious countenance. Amy looked at him for a second, debating how to answer. She decided on honesty.

"Yeah, but I don't even know if he feels the same. I'm probably just some pen pal to him" She said, looking down.

"That's not true," Jake said with a conviction that surprised her, "I mean, I can't imagine that you guys would talk for hours every day and he wouldn't feel the same. Otherwise, he wouldn't do it, y'know?"

"I guess that makes sense" Amy said, feeling a little lighter.

"You know what I bet happened? I bet he realized how intense things were getting and he got scared"

"Scared?"

"Yeah, like he was worried he'd mess it all up" Jake said.

"Then what do I do?" she asked.

"Well, I guess you'd probably want to keep going to the music building and hope he shows up. If he doesn't come back after like two weeks, stop going" he said and felt fear grip her heart.

"What if he never shows up again?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"He will" he said simply.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Well, he's probably super gross and doesn't want to give up the chance to talk to a real, human woman" he said, flashing a smirk at her, while she glared at him.

"God, you're such an asshole" she said, pushing one of his shoulders as he laughed.

"I'm kidding," he said, looking at her sincerely, "You'll be fine, he'll come"

Jake smiled at her kindly and it made her feel warm.

"Thanks, Jake" she said, returning his smile. He nodded and looked down at his mashed potatoes.

* * *

Amy made the long walk to the music building with dread filling up in her throat. If he wasn't there tonight, she knew it would take a toll on her heart. When she reached the entrance, her heart batted against her ribcage, as if it was aware of the possible danger and wanted to escape. Amy took a deep breath and walked with determination up the stairs.

Then, the sweetest sound hit her ears. Someone was playing one of her favorite songs and her face broke into a smile she couldn't contain if she wanted to. She ran up the rest of the stairs two at a time and ran down the hall. Butterflies frenzied in her stomach as she saw a note on the floor and picked it up.

 **I hope you're here.**

Amy looked at the words and her eyes glazed over with water, a soft smile accompanying them. She grabbed a pen and wrote back:

 **I'm here.**

She slipped the paper through the door crack and knocked on the door gently. Normally she waited for him to notice the paper on his own because she didn't want to disturb his practice, but she felt no guilt in inconveniencing him tonight. She heard the music stop and felt him approach the door. An overwhelming impulse to open the door and hold him overcame her. She was so sick of this damn wall. She was just so happy he was _here_. She realized that this week had been harder on her than she first thought. The paper slid back through the door.

" _Hey, I'm really glad you came_ "

" _I've been here every night…_ " she wrote.

" _You were?_ "

" _Yeah_ "

" _I'm sorry. I kind of dropped off the face of the planet and I should have explained why_ "

" _What happened?_ "

" _It's really stupid. I was basically being a huge jerk_ " he wrote back.

" _Enlighten me_ " she wrote, and it took a long time to get a response.

" _Well, last week, when I was coming up here to practice I noticed someone in front of the door and I realized it was you. I kind of panicked and ran away_ " he wrote and a pit formed in Amy's stomach. So he _had_ seen her. Maybe he didn't like what he saw.

" _I'm sorry. I got here early. I was being impatient. I just really wanted to see you, but I guess I scared you off, huh?_ "

" _No, it wasn't that. I just never expected you to be so pretty_ " he wrote and Amy's stomach dropped like she was on steep rollercoaster. Her cheeks immediately filled with color and she hastily wrote back.

" _Oh, well, thank you, but you could have talked to me_ "

" _I couldn't. Hey, but I'm really sorry for not saying anything and leaving you in the dark. I'm working on a way to make it up to you right now_ "

" _What is it?_ "

" _It's a surprise, but I'll show you soon_ "

" _Actually, physically show me?_ " she asked.

" _No, not exactly"_

" _I want to meet you_ "

" _Just give me a little more time, I promise it'll be soon_ " he wrote and Amy was disappointed. She wanted to break the walls down that stood between them. She felt trapped.

" _This is harder than I thought it would be_ " she wrote.

" _Yeah_ "

" _Alright, I'll wait, but no more running off without telling me_ " she wrote.

" _Haha I promise I won't do that again_ "

" _Good_ "

" _Can I ask you a question?_ " he asked.

" _Yeah, what's up?_ "

" _What's your first name?_ " he asked and Amy was surprised. He'd never asked her a question like that before.

" _It's Amy_ "

" _Amy, huh?_ "

" _Yup, your turn_ "

" _Sorry, I'm withholding that information for now_ "

"What? _Why?_ " she asked.

" _Haha it's all part of my plan_ " he said.

" _You're being weird_ "

" _Or am I being cool and mysterious?_ " he wrote and she laughed.

" _No, just weird, you weirdo_ "

" _Hey, Amy?_ "

" _Yeah?_ " she wrote.

" _Thanks for coming every night_ " he wrote and she smiled.

" _Anytime. Hey, I think I'm going to head out_ "

" _Okay, talk to you tomorrow_ "

" _Promise?_ "

" _Promise_ "

* * *

Amy left the music building with a grin on her face that refused to leave. After talking with him, she realized Jake had been right all along about the piano player.

" _He thinks I'm pretty_ " she thought and cursed herself for being so immature. It didn't cure her smile though, which grew brighter every second and was fueled by the glow from the knowledge that the person she liked certainly seemed to like her back.

* * *

 **AN:** Here's chapter seven! It's a little bit of filler, but we'll have some more fun developments next chapter. Only three chapters left, so looks like I'll finish in time! Yay!

Thank you guys so much for all of your comments and song suggestions! I've had such a great time listening to them all. You're all precious babies and I love you.

Special shout outs to killmotion for recommending Brian Crain to me and to jillwritesthings for suggesting "Clair De Lune" for the last chapter. You guys are awesome 3


	8. No 8: Jake - Do You?

**AN:** Welcome to chapter eight! The song for this chapter is "Do you?" by Yiruma. I really recommend you listen to it, it's gorgeous.

* * *

 **No. 8: Jake – Do you?**

Jake woke up an hour earlier than he needed to. He jumped out of bed and got ready as quickly as possible. Stumbling and droopy-eyed, he went to his armoire and pulled out clothes for the day. He had made a habit of leaving early so he could squeeze in even more practice at the music building. He also went to practice in between classes and on weekends. He even showed up an hour early to his practices with Amy. He needed all the time he could get.

Jake was composing Amy a song. He started writing down ideas the night he found out she was the girl on the other side of the door. He worked on it at every spare moment, but, during that first week, he couldn't bring himself to go to practice while she was there. There was a part of him that was scared of falling for her even more than he already had. The more he liked her, the more he had to lose, and dammit, if he didn't already have too much to lose. There was another part of him that thought he wouldn't be able to keep the charade up any longer. His body and soul screamed in protest every second he didn't open the door and put his lips on hers. He was exhausted. He wanted to be with her.

" _I want to be with her_ " he thought and it was the only thing that kept his self-control intact. Moving too quickly could crumble the entire infrastructure of their relationship. Timing was everything. He didn't believe he would have had the resolve to stop himself during the first week he found out about her, so he stayed far away. He knew it would probably hurt her, but he needed time to figure himself. He also need to figure out how to proceed. He wasn't going to just leave this up to chance. That first night, he came up with a plan and the first step was to compose a song for her.

It proved to be one of the most demanding and grueling projects he'd ever taken on. Jake was a piano player, not a composer. It was one thing to play the notes you were given, but quite another to create the notes. He was taking a composition class, but they were just learning the basics. It wasn't a course on "How to Write Songs that Will Most Assuredly Get the Love of Your Life to Love you Back". He wrestled with the notes on his music paper constantly. He talked to professors, upperclassman, he even got some pointers from Holt.

It took weeks and weeks, well after he and Amy completed their _Cyrano De Bergerac_ project (that they got an A+ on), but finally, he had a song. Even after its completion, Jake continued to tweak it over and over again. He needed it to be perfect.

* * *

Jake walked towards the music building, the early morning sun making his brown hair shine. In his mind, he went over the places he thought he could improve the song, humming to himself occasionally. When he got to the music building, it was blissfully quiet and peaceful. He had been coming a lot in the afternoon, the busiest part of the day, lately. He could really focus during this time of day.

Jake sat at the piano and began plucking out the notes and trying different variations. After being there for twenty minutes, something clicked into place. He played the progression again and felt a bolt of lightning go up his spine. He played the entire song and felt his whole body tingle with accomplishment. He had done it. It was ready. He practiced it over and over, each play-through more joyful than the last. He had never worked so hard on something and now he was here with a finished product. His chest swelled with pride.

* * *

Later in the day, Jake went to the fourth floor of the music building, where they had a full recording studio that students could use if they booked in advance. Jake did not have the forethought to book in advance, but the building manager took pity on him when he pleaded. The manager found him an hour slot at 4pm, which was more than enough time.

Jake recorded the song, got it put on his flash drive, and then transferred it on to CD that he could give to Amy.

As the day went on, Jake got more and more nervous. He imagined hundreds of scenarios where Amy didn't like the song and wanted nothing more to do with him.

" _It'll be fine, it'll be fine. Stop freaking out, stop freaking out!_ " he thought, trying to calm himself. He knew she'd be gracious no matter what the song sounded like, but illogical fear still consumed him. It was more than just an issue of whether she liked it or not. Giving her this song was so _huge_. He had made it with his own two hands and all out of the feelings he had for her.

The song was a confession, a piece of his soul, and it was stained with his blood, sweat, and tears. There was nothing "easy" about giving this to her. It required him to give part of himself away that he didn't know he had.

* * *

When he reached the music building that night, his hands were shaking. This only made him panic more because he worried it would affect his playing. He arrived a good hour before Amy made her usual appearance and practiced his song. He was careful to check the clock consistently. The last thing he wanted was for her to hear it before it was time.

As he practiced he remembered the past two weeks. They'd agreed to holding off on meeting, but they talked every single day. She talked about her brothers and how they made fun of her all the time, but how they'd kicked anybody's ass for her if she needed it. He talked about how his father left when he was seven, and how he's barely had a phone call since. Amy told Jake it was "his loss" and he felt himself fall for her a little bit more. They talked about stupid stuff like their favorite movies and childhood battle wounds. They talked about their dreams and their futures. Jake thought about how much he wanted her to be a part of his.

Jake looked up at the clock and realized she'd arrive soon, so he started playing "Moonlight Sonata" instead. When he finished the song he heard a gentle knock on the door. Jake's stomach dropped and felt his hands shake again. He got up and approached the door, a note already waiting for him.

" _That song's so dark_ " she wrote

" _Yeah, really punches ya in the gut_ "

" _Are you upset?_ " she asked.

" _No, why?_ "

" _I dunno. I just feel like you normally play how you're feeling_ " she wrote and Jake wondered if that was true.

" _Naw, I was just practicing Beethoven for a class_ "

" _Oh, good_ "

" _Thanks though_ "

" _Sure_ "

" _Hey, Amy?_ " he asked, and his heart doubled in speed.

" _Yes?_ " she asked.

" _Remember when I told you I would make it up to you for that week I went off the grid?_ "

" _I do_ "

" _Welllllll, today I finished it and I was hoping you would listen to it_ " he wrote, heart still hammering against his chest.

" _Of course, whatever you want_ "

" _Okay, great. Stay right there_ " he wrote and slipped the paper underneath the door. He went back to the piano and sat on the stool. He looked at the keys and at the sheet music he didn't need. He memorized the piece by heart. It was a part of him, he didn't need any help. He took a deep breath and began to play.

As he played, the world seemed to slow down. Jake released everything into the keys: every wish, every heartbeat, and every "please-don't-go" feeling. He felt a divine energy course through his fingertips, all singing out to her, praying to reach her. If she didn't understand how he felt after this, she never would. Jake reached the end of the song and the room seemed to glow with warmth that wasn't there before. He felt electricity course through him, but he also felt exhausted, as if he had moved stones all day.

He took a deep breath and moved slowly to the door. There was no note there yet, but he could feel her there. He saw the paper slowly slide in through the bottom of the door and he picked it up carefully.

" _Did you write that?_ "

" _I did._ "

" _I can't form sentences right now_ "

" _You're doing alright so far_ "

" _Tomorrow_ " she wrote. Jake looked at the paper and saw it had one circular, wet stain. After noticing it, he heard her sniffle. She was crying. The impulse to open the door and hold her was unbearable

" _Never mind, you did lose your sentence-forming abilities_ " he wrote with an attempt at humor.

" _We're meeting tomorrow. This is not a request and you have no say in the matter. We are meeting tomorrow_ " she wrote and even though fear gripped his chest, he knew it was time.

" _Okay, tomorrow it is. Meet here at nine o' clock?_ "

" _That's perfect_ " she wrote and he smiled. He took the CD out of his jacket pocket and slid it underneath the door.

" _I put the song on a CD so you could have it, if you wanted it. You don't have to listen to it or anything_ " he wrote.

" _I'm going to listen to it every day, you idiot_ " she wrote back in a flash.

" _You liked it_?"

" _There's not a word strong enough…_ "

" _Really?_ "

" _Really. It was amazing, you've ruined all other songs for me_ " she wrote and his heart fluttered.

" _Oh, well sorry about that_ "

" _I'll live. What's it called?_ " she asked.

" _It says right there on the CD: 'Amy's Song'_ "

" _You're so stupid_ " she wrote and he smirked.

" _Yeah, I probably could have been more creative with that one_ "

" _Play it again_ "

" _Play what again?_ " he asked and he knew full well what.

" _My song. Please?_ "

" _Your wish is my command_ " he wrote back, standing up.

He went to the piano with a happy thrumming in his chest and played the song again.

* * *

 **AN:** Chapter eight is done! I hope you guy's enjoyed this chapter. It was a little shorter, but I think I'll make up for it in the next chapter.

Thank you guys so much for all of your support and amazing comments. You guys are seriously so sweet and precious that I gushed about you on tumblr (crystal-gem-jessie if you need proof). You're all pretty pancakes and I love ya like a love song baby.

See you in chapter nine!


	9. No 9: Amy - Dearly

**AN:** Welcome to Chapter nine everyone! The song for this is "Dearly Beloved (From 'Kingdom Hearts') [2012]" by Kyle Landry. It's a big eleven minute song and it's on Spotify. I really recommend listening for this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

 **No. 9: Amy – Dearly**

Before Amy went to bed, she uploaded the song to her computer and then her iPhone. When it had successfully been synced she grabbed her earphones and crawled into bed, her song set to repeat. She closed her eyes and listened, paying special attention to each and every note, knowing they were clues to a secret message. She wondered " _what was he thinking about when he wrote that part?_ " at different sections, thinking they were far too lovely to be inspired by her. She wasn't trying to tear herself down or anything, but the song just seemed beyond the earthly. As great as she was, she was only human and this song felt like it was about an astral being. Was this how he saw her? Happy, bubbly sensations decorated her body.

Was this what all the fuss was about? Is this the thing that poets rhymed about and Taylor Swift wrote lyrics about? This feeling where you caught yourself smiling for no reason, where you wished everything else would go by fast and the time spent with them would go slow, where all other colors felt dull compared to the spectrum that surrounded that one person? Was this what people meant when they spoke of…no, the word was still too scary, at least for right now.

" _We're going to meet tomorrow_ " she thought, a bubbly smile reemerging. The thought made her a little nervous, but mostly just excited with anticipation. She was certain now. There was nothing that could make her turn from him, no matter who he was past the door. She knew who he was. The vessel he inhabited made no difference.

* * *

Jake, on the other hand, did not agree with this line of thinking.

"Whoa, wait Ames, you're gonna meet him _tonight_?" he asked at lunch, cereal spilling out of his bowl onto the tray.

" _Yes_. It's been months already. Why shouldn't we meet?" she asked, rolling her eyes at him.

"You don't even know his name, hell, you don't even know if he's a _student_ "

"He's a student! He's a music major" she said, defensive.

"So he says, but what if he's like a forty-year-old dude who woos young women with his siren song, and then kidnaps them, and wears their skin?"

"Ugh, stop watching _Silence of the Lambs_ , Jake. Look, he's not a serial killer. We've been alone hundreds of times, he's had every opportunity to kidnap me and wear my skin. Why would he start now?" she asked.

"Maybe he gets off on the chase, y'know? Like the build-up is the best part?" Jake suggested.

"That's ridiculous, and god, what is even with you? A month ago you were telling me to go for it and that I just needed to be patient, now you want me to stay away from him?"

"Well, I think his recent behavior is weird"

"Weird, how?" she asked.

"Well, why did he wait so long to meet you in person?"

"He wanted to finish his song first" she said, growing steadily more annoyed with the conversation.

"Why wouldn't he tell you his name? You told him yours"

" _Jake_. Enough. There's nothing that's gonna stop me from meeting him tonight so you can just save it" she said with a decided gesture.

"Fine, but let me come with you" he said.

" _What?_ "

"Let me come with you. As soon as he comes in and I see that he isn't a forty-year-old man with an insatiable bloodlust, I'll leave you guys to nerd all over each other" Jake explained. Amy glared at him.

"Absolutely not! He would be so insulted, Jake. There's no way you're coming"

"But Amy-" he started, but was interrupted by Amy grabbing his hand on the table.

" _Jake_ , listen to me, I know you're worried about me and that's really sweet, but I got this. I promise you, I'll be fine. If it makes you feel better, I'll text you and let you know everything is fine, okay?" she said, raising her eyebrows as she waited for his reply.

"Alright, just be careful" he said, smiling (like always), but looking disappointed.

"Thank you" she said and removed her hand from his. A familiar burning lingered on her fingers. For the rest of lunch she stole glances at him. Why was he so worried? It didn't make sense.

Then a terrible thought occurred to her. What if _Jake liked her_ and he didn't want her to go because that would ruin his chances? A pang of guilt went through her.

" _God, under any other circumstances…_ " she thought, realizing she still felt a spark of attraction towards him. Now she felt doubly-guilty. No one could compete with her pianist, but Jake was the one person who could confuse her. She looked at Jake again. He was looking down at his food, a smile still on his lips, but she saw deep-thought in his eyes.

" _Oh, Jake…_ " she thought and made a mental note not to flaunt her relationship in front of him in the future. She didn't want to cause him pain.

* * *

The rest of her day went by painfully slow. She went to her classes and tried to take notes, but her mind wandered. Her thoughts weaved in-and-out between possible scenarios of meeting the mysterious piano player and her recent revelation about Jake.

" _I bet he's actually really handsome and has a great body…Jake probably doesn't even have a thing for me…he probably smells really good…I can't just assume Jake likes me, but for what other reason would he act like that?_ " she thought, everything a jumbled mess.

"Miss Santiago!"

"Huh?" Amy said and looked for the source. Wuntch, who Amy unfortunately had gotten for a second semester, glared at her with her beady little eyes.

"Am I _boring_ you Miss Santiago?" she asked and Amy was stunned like a deer in the headlights.

"Uh, Uh, no ma'am, I am super interested in what YOU HAVE TO SAY ALL THE TIME! PLEASE TALK MORE!" Amy said, her panic gradually turning her speech into a shout. The class looked at her in silence.

"Are you done, Miss Santiago?" Wuntch asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Please continue, ma'am" Amy said with her head bowed low.

* * *

During all her free time, Amy listened to her song. With the conscious decision to pay attention to every single note, she had learned it by heart. Listening to it was addictive like coffee: if she didn't listen to it for too long, she'd get the shakes. She prayed for classes to end so she could put her headphones in and dismiss herself to a different world.

As the night came, not even her song could calm her nerves. Meeting felt like such a huge step and what would happen after they met? Would he ask her out to a proper date? Would they just look at each other in strained silence? Would things get… _intimate_? The questions swimming through her head were making her insane and she wanted it to end already. The tension that had been building was going to have to pop at some point and it made Amy want to barf.

* * *

Of course, Jake wasn't making any of this easier.

"You _sure_ you don't want me to go with you? I really think it's a good idea" he said, poking his fork at her.

" _No!_ Jake, he is not a serial killer"

"Sounds like something a serial killer victim would say, except wait, they can't say anything because, _oh yeah_ , they're dead!" Jake said with passion. Amy gave him an incredulous look.

"You're not coming with me. Drop it" she said before she attempted another bite of her grilled cheese. Nope, she couldn't do it. She was still too nervous. She looked at her watch: 8:15 p.m. She still had another half-hour before she left and forty-five minutes before she met him. Her stomach twisted itself into knots she wasn't sure they'd be able to untie. It was getting so close.

"Alright, well I'll see you later, I guess" Jake said, rising from his seat.

"You're leaving?" she asked. He normally went back for seconds and thirds, but he only had one plate of food.

"Yeah, uh, I wanna catch the next episode of that show I like" Jake said, averting her eyes.

"Oh, okay. See ya" she said, far too nervous to notice his shifty answer.

"Later. Try not to puke on his shoes, Ames" Jake said, leaving before she could retaliate.

* * *

If she thought her nerves were bad during dinner, it was nothing compared to how she felt walking to the music building. Instead of just her stomach twisting into knots, all of her veins followed suit.

" _Breathe, Amy,_ Breathe" she told herself and it helped a little. She put her headphones on and listened to the song again. She felt some of her muscles relax and was grateful for the song's existence. How had he given her exactly what she needed?

The walk into the music building reversed some of the calm she had managed to find. As she went up the stairs, she heard no music and a horrible fear gripped her chest.

" _What if he isn't coming?_ " she thought and looked at her watch. 8:55 p.m. There was still time. She went down the hall and put her hand on the door handle.

" _Maybe he's inside and too nervous to play?_ " she thought, trying to appease herself. There was only one way to find out. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

* * *

" _JAKE?!_ " she said, her voice reaching volumes she'd never tapped into before.

"Heeeeeeeey Amy" he said, a guilty grin on his face.

"I _swear_ to _god_ , Jake, if you don't leave right _now_ -" she said, her face red with anger.

"Hey, hey, hey! Look I'll leave, I promise! I'll leave as soon as he gets here" Jake offered.

"NO! Leave! Now!"

"Not gonna" he said with a shrug.

"UGH! You are such a-just-unbelievable…I told you not to come!" she said, nerves dissolving into white hot anger.

"You said I couldn't come _with_ you, so I came before you" he said, his grin now triumphant.

"Jake, this is important to me! I'm going to kill you!" she said with a face that looked like she meant it.

"Amy, look, he'll be here in like two minutes and I'll explain that this was totally my idea, and that I just wanted to make sure you were safe, okay? As soon as I do that, I'll scram, okay?" he asked and Amy felt a pang of affection for him. If he was this adamant he must be really worried. She sighed. What was two minutes more?

" _Fine_ , but I'm still really pissed at you"

"I'll make it up to you" he said and Amy felt an odd sense of Déjà Vu.

Amy began pacing in the room. At any second, her piano player would come through that door and she'd be here with another guy. She was sure he'd understand, but still, it wasn't the perfect picture she'd imagined.

"So is this the piano that started it all?" Jake asked as he sat down and plucked a key.

"Don't touch that!" she snapped at him.

"Whoa, jeez, Amy. You're a little on edge, let me play ya something" he said, pulling back the sleeves of his shirt.

"Don't-"

 _ **BOMP!**_

 _ **CLASH!**_

" _Jake!_ Stop playing around!" She said as Jake slammed the keys.

"Sorry, sorry. Hey, do you think piano boy can do this?" Jake asked and began playing "Chopsticks".

" _Yes_ , Jake. I'm sure he can play 'Chopsticks'" she said. She was so annoyed that she had to turn away from him. With her back to Jake, she looked at the clock on the wall. 9:02 p.m.

"Where is he?" she asked in a low voice. She began worrying that he really wasn't coming.

Then, softly, Amy heard a few notes play from the piano. They were tentative and not played at the right speed, but Amy recognized them immediately. The notes picked up and gained confidence and started playing in full. Someone was playing _her_ song: _Amy's Song_. But how? The only two people in the room were her and-

She turned around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash and that's when she saw it. Jake. She saw Jake playing the piano, playing _her song_ , like he was born to do it. He looked at no sheet music, just at his hands and the keys. Sometimes he even shut his eyes and just let the song go where he knew it went. Amy watched him in silence, her brain not able to put the pieces together.

She hadn't shown the song to anyone. How did he know it? Did Jake know the piano? Wasn't he a _business_ -

Amy's eyes widened. Jake told her way back when they first met that he was a business major, but so did her piano player. She thought about their conversations. She thought of the notes under the door and remembered how, sometimes, there was something very familiar about the way the piano player phrased his sentences. Amy felt hot tears prickle her eyes.

Jake played on, an expression she had never seen from him on his face. She thought she might faint. Then, slowly, carefully, tenderly even, Jake finished the song. He looked at the keys, painfully aware that Amy was staring into him. He slowly lifted his head to meet her eyes. He wore the sweetest, smallest smile and a look in his eyes that asked "well?"

"It was _you_ " Amy said, her voice catching. It was a statement, not a question. She watched his expression change. It was vulnerable and pleading, with no smile in sight. When had Amy ever seen Jake without a smile?

"Amy, I-"

"The whole time?"

"Yes-"

"And you've _known_ -?"

"Yes, Amy, I-" he started, getting up from the stool and taking a step towards her.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" she asked, her eyes welling with tears now.

"I was-"

"Was this a _joke_ to you?" she asked, and Jake's hands found her shoulders. Strong hands that played music for her when she was sad. Jake's hands.

" _No!_ Amy, I swear. Everything I said to you here was true. I didn't say anything when I found it was you on the other side of the door because I was worried you wouldn't…worried you wouldn't…" he said, words failing him. Amy refused to let him off the hook, however.

"'Worried you wouldn't' what?" she asked. Jake looked away from her for a second and then met her eyes again.

"I was worried you wouldn't want to be with me if I was 'Jake'. For the past month I've been trying to figure out how to tell you…I'm sorry" he said, his big brown eyes searching hers. She backed away from his grip.

"I need to think" she said in a hushed voice, eyes still welling with tears that refused to fall. She broke Jake's pained gaze and darted out the door, leaving Jake in the room alone with the piano.

* * *

 **Jake**

Jake looked at the closed door that Amy had hurried out of. A pain formed in his chest like no pain he had known before. She left. She just _left_.

" _I fucked it up. I really fucked it up_ " he thought, panic setting in. Should he have just told her as soon as he knew she was Amy? Would that have been the right decision? Was there really any scenario where she didn't walk out of his life forever? If there was, where did he go wrong? What else could he have done?

The pain in his chest had, somehow, gotten worse. He stood in the same place, unable to move, staring at the door. He lost her. He _lost_ her.

It was his fault. He knew it was. He just didn't know where and how.

" _Ugh, why am I so stupid?!_ " he asked himself. He began pacing and looking at the tiles on the floor, hoping the answers hid there. He began going over different scenarios in his head when-

 _ **BAM!**_

The door slammed against the wall. The jarring sound made Jake look over instantly. In the door frame was Amy, her arm still extended from when she slammed the door open. She looked directly at him with a piercing glare that made him back up. Her face was red and her breath was shallow. She looked like she had just run a mile. Jake stared at her, too confused for words.

After a beat, Amy stormed towards him and for a wild second, he thought she was going to hit him. Instead, she roughly wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down to her lips. She kissed him like fire kissed kindling and held nothing back. For a moment, Jake was stunned, but quickly got over it and met her fervor equally. He ran his hands to her hips and then wrapped his arms around her back to pull her closer.

Amy separated herself from Jake's lips and took big, gulping breaths. Her eyes met Jake's again. Jake wasted no time in taking her face in his hands and bringing her to him. He kissed her again and this time, he felt her grab his shirt. It ignited even more passion from him and a small groan escaped his chest. He trailed kisses along her jaw, down to her throat and Amy snuck a hand into his hair, clutching it tightly.

" _Jake…_ " she said, hushed, sultry, and low. The sound of his name sent him back to her lips, sweet and hot. With some reluctance their lips parted and Jake rested his forehead on hers. He traced his hand up and down her arms and then grabbed her hands, his thumbs rubbing her knuckles. Jake felt her warm breath hit his lips and thought he'd go crazy. He wanted even more of her. Selfishly, greedily, hungrily desired it.

"Amy…" he whispered.

"I know" she said, and both of them giggled. They pulled back from each other and indulged in the sight of each other's eyes as smiles illuminated both of their faces.

"You scared the hell out of me, Santiago" he said, his eyes tender.

"I'll make it up to you" she said and closed the gap between them once again.

* * *

 **AN:** *Does victory run* WOOOOOOOO! We made it to chapter nine, babies! I'm so excited this chapter is out. I hope the perspective shift didn't throw you off too much, but I felt like we needed to get Jake's perspective and, if I'm honest, I didn't have the heart to break it up into two chapters. That would have been too cruel haha.

I hope you liked the song that goes with it! I'm a Kingdom Hearts nerd and "Dearly Beloved" is one of my fave pieces of music ever.

There's a Death Cab for Cutie reference floating around in there somewhere.

Chapter ten is basically going to be an Epilogue, but expect more fluff.

Thanks, as always for all of your kind messages. It really means the world to me. You guys are great!

See you in the last chapter!


	10. No 10: Sunrise

**AN:** Hello everyone and welcome to the tenth and final installment of "You're the Only Song I Want to Hear"! The song for this chapter is "Sunrise" by Hauschka. Enjoy!

* * *

 **No. 10: Sunrise**

—The Previous Night—

 **Amy**

 _Amy stormed out of the piano room, her heart painfully hammering against her chest, and her mind a confused mess._

 _"_ Jake! It's been Jake this whole time. God, I'm so _stupid_! _" she thought, racing down the stairs. Nothing made sense, yet it all made perfect sense. All those little eccentricities she remembered feeling familiar in both of them had been hints of the same person. They were goofy in the same dumb way, both irresponsible in the same reckless way, and they were both kind in the same infuriatingly, compassionate way._

 _"UGH!" Amy yelled as she marched further away from the building. Why hadn't Jake just_ told _her? Why didn't he just come right and say "It's me Jake, I'm the one playing piano?" Would that have been so hard?_

 _She tried to imagine her reaction if he had done that. A part of her knew she'd probably feel really awkward around him since the foundation for their relationship hadn't been solid enough yet. Was it solid enough now? Amy had told herself last night that, no matter who it was, she'd accept them and do whatever it took to make it work._

 _Amy stopped in her tracks at the half-way point to her dorm from the music building. What was she angry about? She was definitely angry Jake came when she specifically told him not to, but that didn't make sense anymore because he was the person she was meeting anyway. If he hadn't shown up she would have been really hurt. Maybe it was the lying and sneaking around that bothered, but wasn't all that just because he was being careful? He wanted to make sure it was done properly so that she wouldn't run away…like she was now._

 _Amy remembered what Jake had said back in the room:_

 _"_ I was worried you wouldn't want to be with me if I was 'Jake' _"_

 _He wanted to_ be _with her? That was such a…_ committed _thing to say. Jake wanted to be with her and she ran away from him. Guilt and regret filled her chest. What had she done?_

 _Amy pivoted and ran as fast as she could back to the music building. What was wrong with her? She had been fretting for_ weeks _that she still had lingering feelings for Jake while simultaneously having an emotional affair with a boy behind a door, and it turns out they're the same person? And she's_ upset _? Was she crazy?_

 _Her shoes slammed on the pavement and she was breathing hard as she got closer to the building. Jake had spent god-knows-how-long writing a song for her. That beautiful, wonderful song and she accused him of joking about his feelings for her? Another pang of guilt rippled through her body. How much did it hurt him to hear her say that? She really was the worst._

 _"_ Please, still be there. Please, still be there" _she prayed as she opened the door to the music building. Terror pulsated through her veins. What if he wouldn't have her now? What if she'd hurt him too much? She pushed herself to run even faster up the steps and to the piano room._

 _ **BAM!**_

 _She swung the door open with so much force it probably made a dent in the wall. The sound had startled Jake who was, mercifully, still there. He looked at her, eyes widened in surprise and confusion. Amy looked at him, breathing hard and body tired, but couldn't think of anything to say. The only thing clear to her was that she wanted to be with him too, but no words came to her._

 _Then, she acted before her mind could realize what she was doing. She went towards him with, what must have been a pretty menacing walk, because Jake suddenly got in a defensive stance. Regardless, she wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his, kissing him fiercely. He was unresponsive for a second, but then melted into her. A sigh of satisfaction escaped her mouth. Jake ran his hands all over her and Amy felt her skin light on fire with every caress. She kissed him as long as she could until her lungs pleaded for air. She took her lips away and found her breath, which she lost on the run up._

 _Jake looked at her as if had never seen daylight before, his eyes full of wonder. He put gentle hands on her cheeks and kissed her again. Amy, desperate to deepen the kiss, grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him even closer. Jake took the hint and Amy heard a low rumble in his chest. He broke away from her and kissed the outline of her jaw to the base of her neck. It drove Amy wild and she knew she was entering into dangerous territory. Her caution seemed to be sleeping somewhere, though, as she buried her fingers in his hair and called out his name._

 _Jake came back up to her lips, still passionate, but slightly more chaste. They stopped only when their lungs begged for it. Jake put his forehead on hers and held her hands like he was afraid to let go. He felt him take deep breaths and every part of her body wanted to wrap around his, but her caution came back to her and said "_ let's wait a little bit _"._

 _He said her name in a low, husky whisper that sparked unwarranted visions in her head of them sprawled naked on the piano and him saying it again._

"Knock it off, Amy! _" she thought as her cheeks reddened further and she quickly replied to him with a simple "I know"._

 _For whatever reason, it cut the tension in the air and all they could do was laugh. Their eyes met again and Amy saw that Jake was blushing pretty intensely as well. His hair was messy from where she had grabbed it and his lips were swollen from where she had (lightly) nipped. An overwhelming need to kiss those full lips again coursed through her._

 _Jake mumbled something about how she'd scared him. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and a devilish glint hit her eyes._

 _"I'll make it up to you" she said, and one day soon, she absolutely would._

* * *

—Present Day—

 **Jake**

"No"

"Aw, c'mon Amy" Jake said, turning away from the laptop on his dorm-room desk. Amy was sitting on his bed and looking at one of his old Batman comics.

"No, I already told you. You need to finish the assignment" she said, not looking at him.

"I've been at it for two hours. Can I take a break?" he asked as a mischievous grin bloomed on his face. This time she looked at him and then at her watch. Jake approached the bed as she deliberated.

"I guess you've earned a break" she said as she looked up and was surprised to see Jake inches away from her face. He quickly kissed her and wasted no time wrapping his arms around her. She giggled through the kiss and separated from him.

"Jake…" she said, a hand going to his cheek.

"What? Is everything okay?" he asked, worried.

"Yeah, yeah I guess, I just want to talk a little" she said, rubbing a thumb on his cheek.

"Oh, sorry" he said, suddenly feeling guilty. After finally being able to kiss her after all this time, it was hard not to do it constantly.

"No, don't apologize. I'm not mad or anything. It's just, we've been kinda _distracted_ and we really haven't talked about anything since we've been, uh-"

"Vigorously making out?" Jake asked with a cheeky smile. Amy rolled her eyes. Just because they were romantically involved, that didn't mean he couldn't still make fun of her.

" _Yes_ , that. I dunno, I just feel we should talk about things"

"Okay. Like what?" he asked.

"Um, well, so the piano, huh?" she asked. What kind of question was that? She already knew all about that. It dawned on him that this was not the question she wanted to ask at all.

"Yup, been playing since I was five. What else?" he asked.

"Um…yeah that's what I wanted to know" she said and looked nervous.

"That's it?" he asked.

"Yup, you know Batman is a _very_ good detective" she said, lifting up the comic to show him. She looked down at it and an even more mischievous look appeared on his face. He knew exactly where this was going.

"Do you want to be my _girlfriend_ , Amy?" he asked and Amy whipped her head to look at him.

"What? No. Why? Do you want to be my boyfriend, or something?" she asked, getting herself into a confused, flustered mess. Her words might have hurt him if her tone didn't give her away so completely.

"I didn't write you the best song ever composed _ever_ to _not_ be your boyfriend" he said. Jake saw her eyes widen, but a smile curl on her lips.

"So you're better than Bach and Beethoven now?" she asked with a condescending tone.

"I'm up there" he said, flashing her a toothy grin.

"Oh _really_? So 'Für Elise' and 'The Turkish March' all pale in comparison?" she asked, but he had no answer other than his lips on hers. He put a strong hand on her neck and positioned himself so his face was above hers. He breathed her in and realized he was addicted to her smell: sweet and earthy, like cinnamon. He took his lips off hers. They really did need to talk.

"I want to be your boyfriend" he said simply, his thumb outlining her jaw. She looked up at him with big, brown eyes.

"I _want_ you to be my boyfriend" Amy said quietly, even shyly.

"It's settled then"

Then, Jake decided they had talked enough for one day.

* * *

A month later, it happened. Jake dropped the "L-bomb". He didn't mean to, not that he didn't _mean_ it, but he didn't plan it to go down the way that it went down. It was all very mundane. Amy was visiting his dorm again and was about to leave for class. Jake was staring at his computer screen and checking Facebook.

"Okay, I'm off. See you for dinner at seven?" she asked throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah, sounds good" he said, throwing her a wave and a quick look.

"Okay, see you later" she said heading out the door.

"Bye, love you"

Amy stopped. Jake stopped. They slowly looked at each other with shocked faces.

"What?" she finally asked, her face showing nothing but surprise.

"I-it was just _y'know_ -I was-"

"You were what?" she asked. Jake's face fell and knew that the only way not to hurt her feelings was to say the truth, even though this is _not_ how he wanted to tell her. He shrugged his arms in defeat.

"I love you. This isn't really what I had in mind when I told you but-"

"I love you too" she said, interrupting him. Jake's face went back to being stunned.

"You do?" he asked, standing up on the question. She looked at him with big, tender eyes.

"Mm-hm" she said, nodding. Jake immediately wrapped her in a hug and let out a relieved sigh. He didn't realize how scared he was that she might not say it back. They pulled back and he placed a soft kiss on her lips. She dropped her bag on the floor. Jake separated from her.

"Oh, you'll be late for class" he said and she smiled.

"I can skip it" she said as she unzipped his hoodie. He didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

 **Amy**

Amy walked up the stairs in the music building, a beautiful song drifting to her ears. She smiled. Her boyfriend sure was talented. Amy had just finished her last final and they agreed to meet in the piano room one last time before they had to leave for summer. It was a little bittersweet leaving, but she reminded herself that she and Jake lived fairly close. She'd get to see him plenty, though probably not every day.

She opened the door and saw Jake playing the piano, a sight that never failed to make her smile. He heard her come in and stopped to greet her. She sat down on the stool with him and handed him one of two coffees she held in her hand.

"We're gonna need the energy, I haven't packed anything" she said, taking a sip.

"Thanks. Yeah, I haven't either" he said.

"How'd the talk go with your mom?" she asked. Apparently, the school had sent a letter to Jake's home address saying that his major transfer had been approved and Mama Peralta was not happy about it.

"Oh, y'know, we yelled at each other for a couple hours and then we somehow got to the point where she agreed I could still be a music major as long as I took up a minor in business" he said easily.

" _What?_ Jake that's great! I mean, I know it's not ideal, but still!" she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Ha, I knew you'd say that"

"Are you happy?" she asked, worried.

"What? Yeah, of course. I've already taken a couple of the core classes so it shouldn't slow me down too bad. I'm just annoyed I have to actually _take_ business classes. Ugh" he said.

"Yeah, well, just get by. It's not like you're going to _need_ you're business classes" she said, taking his hand and Jake gave her a playful push with his shoulder.

"I told her about you" he said with soft smile.

"You did?"

"Yup. I think it was the only thing that turned her around. I told her how I wooed you with my siren song and that you made me really happy blah, blah, blah"

"Yeah, well you make me really happy blah, blah, blah too" she said. He looked down at their intertwined hands.

"She wants to meet you" he said softly.

"Really?"

"Yup"

"I'd love to meet your mother!" she said, but then her enthusiasm slowly transformed into panic, "Oh, god. What would I wear? Should I bring something? Does she like banana bread? Oh my god, Jake! I don't know _how_ to make banana bread, but what am I going to bring if I don't bring _banana bread_?!"

"Amy, Amy, you're doing the thing again. Breathe. My mom will not dislike you. Hell, she'll be ecstatic that you exist. She'll be a little disappointed that you're a gentile, but eh, she'll get over it" he said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Okay, it's fine. I'm fine" she said, calming down.

"Should I meet your family?" he asked.

"Oh god, Jake. That makes me even more nervous than meeting your mom" she said, eyes widening again.

"What, why?"

"Jake. Seven brothers. And a _very_ Catholic father. And I haven't exactly kept to my purity vow" she said, her face contorting with worry.

"Yeesh, yeah let's push that meeting back as far as we can. Maybe just don't tell them I exist" he said.

"Sounds like a plan" she said and rested her head on his shoulder. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes.

"I'm going to miss this" Amy said.

"We're coming back in three months"

"I know, but I'll miss it"

"Yeah," he agreed and sighed

"This room's definitely treated us pretty well" she said, plucking a key.

"Except for that one time you ran out on my romantic confession" Jake teased.

"Oh, and what about you? You stood me up for a week!" Amy shot back.

"So I could write you a love ballad!"

"Ugh! There's no use arguing with you"

"Yeah, 'cause I'm always right" he said, smiling into his coffee.

"You're the worst"

"You _love_ me" he said in a sing-song voice, still teasing her.

"Stop being right all the time" she mused as he bent down to give her a gentle, coffee-infused kiss.

The End

* * *

 **AN:** Aww here it is the last chapter. I'm sad! I really liked writing in this world. Can I confess something? I came up with this AU because it was a secret fantasy of mine. I used to day dream about it during the summer before college and hope I could meet a sensitive piano player who'd tutor me and we'd slowly fall in love. *Sigh* oh, to be so young and naïve. I hold no such hopes for grad school haha.

Well, the format is kinda wonky for this one, but I hope it was easy to follow and satisfactory? Endings are hard.

So, this will be my last fic for at least two months because I'm leaving to be a camp counselor tomorrow for the next two months. I get one day off a week, but it's not enough time to write. I busted out three 14k+ fics in a month, so that's pretty good.

If anyone wants it, here is a complete track listing for you:

1.) "Prelude No. 15 in D-Flat Major, Op. 28 'Raindrops'" by Chopin

2.) "Dernière" by Yann Tiersen

3.) "Lyric Pieces Op.71: 3. Puck" by Edvard Grieg

4.) "Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat Major" by Chopin

5.) "Georgiana" by Jean-Yves Thibaudet

6.) "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy

7.) "Butterfly Waltz" by Brian Crain

8.) "Do you?" by Yiruma

9.) "Dearly Beloved (From 'Kingdom Hearts') [2012]" by Kyle Landry

10.) "Sunrise" by Hauschka

*Bonus: "Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab For Cutie

The bonus track is where I pulled the title from! Death Cab's my favorite band so I'm always suggesting them haha.

Shout out to JM for the Hauschka rec!

Alright, well goodbye lovelies. Thank you so much for all the love and support. I've had a bit of a bad month, but all of your kind comments really helped me get through it. Thank you very, very much. If you want to keep in touch you can always find me on Tumblr as crystal-gem-jessie. I have every Friday off so if you want to say "hello" I can get back to you in a week. Again, thank you very much for reading. I am truly humbled. Thank you.


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